To Serve at his Command
by One Piece Trash
Summary: Luffy ends up becoming the maid for a mysterious man. While it means she won't be living poorly anymore, she soon discovers her employer's dark desires and his even darker background. Will she survive serving for the man known as Sir Crocodile? Fem!Luffy Mobster Crocodile Early 1900s AU
1. Pick Pocketing the Wrong Man

**Full Summary:** Luffy ends up becoming the maid for a mysterious man. While it means she won't be living poorly anymore, she soon discovers her employer's dark desires and his even darker background. Will she survive serving for the man known as Sir Crocodile? Fem!Luffy Early 1900s AU

**Rating:** Mostly rated T, but also M for trash chapters. So much trash. Crocodile deserves as much smutty trash as he can get. M rated chapters for upcoming sexual content. I will mark a warning in the chapters that contain as such, so that readers who only want to stick to "T" rated material can skip over.

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**To serve at his Command|** Pickpocketing the Wrong Man

**1905**

_Dearest Grandfather,_

_I just received your letter—yes, everything is alright. How many times must I stress this? Do not worry for my sake for it won't fair well for your health. Everything is perfectly fine._

_I'm happy to share that since last writing to you, I managed to find employment as a baker's apprentice. It requires little on my part—nothing that you need to worry about. My employer is kind and even though the pay is minimal, I will send as much as I can. Please do not worry: I'm alright, Grandfather._

_Upon your request, I will state I'm in good health. I manage to eat twice a day—sometimes thrice if it's a profitable day at work._

_Nothing important has happened in my life besides my state of employment since last writing you. The city life proves interesting as always, and I manage to befriend somebody new every week._

_How is your health? And Ace? Has there been any word from him? I do worry about him, but I will always have confidence in his decisions. If he believes this is the best route for him to follow, who am I to argue?_

_I will write to you again, soon. I promise. Take care, Grandfather, and again, do not worry. I'll send money soon._

_Yours always,_

_Luffy._

Placing the pen down, Luffy stared at the letter. Her finger ran across the dried ink slowly, feeling the depressions and grooves of her writing. Biting down on her lower lip, she quickly folded it up and slipped it into the small envelope.

A hand touched her shoulder, gently. "Almost done?" His voice was soft. "I'm about to head out soon, so if you're done, best better hand it over."

Glancing up, Luffy smiled softly. "Yes, Shanks," she answered, handing over the light envelope. "I can't thank you enough for mailing these out for me—"

The older male shook his hand dismissingly. "Don't worry about it," he stressed, taking the letter and stuffing it into his shirt pocket. Cocking a brow, Shanks pulled away from her desk and went to lean against the wall. "What'd you tell him this time?"

Luffy forced a small smile. "I told him I found a job as a baker's apprentice."

The man smirked, shaking his head slowly. "That's a terrible lie, but it isn't the worse thing you've come up with."

Arising from her seat, Luffy quickly pushed her chair in and responded. "Better that than tell him the truth. He would worry himself to an early grave if I ever told him what I'm actually doing."

Shanks shrugged. "It isn't _that _bad." When she pushed past him towards the doorframe, he followed suit. "I mean, you don't have to tell him the _whole_ truth."

Pausing, Luffy cocked her head back to send her dear friend a weak look. "I would argue with you more, but as you know, _he's_ waiting for me."

Shanks wiggled his brows, fighting back a chuckle. "Can't keep that clown waiting, can we, huh?" He offered Luffy a small side hug and bided her farewell. "I should be back by the end of the week." And with that, he left.

_If there is ever a kind man in my life, it is him,_ Luffy thought, watching him through the window of her employer's small home. It wasn't much, but it offered warmth, some food, and most importantly: safety from the streets.

Sighing, Luffy pulled away from the window and went for the backroom, where he was waiting. As she drew near, she could smell the faint trace of fish oil, spices, and chalk: different ingredients used to create the make-up. Widening her stare, she entered the preparation room, meeting a pair of round angry eyes.

"Finally!" a voice snapped. "We're late."

"Sorry," Luffy muttered as she went for her outfit: a puffy little dress of white with even whiter stalkings. "I was writing my grandfather."

"Sure, sure," the man huffed, heading for a cracked mirror. She watched as he fixed his blue hair before working on his bright red nose. "The only reason you can write him now is because _I _took you in." He shot her a side glance. "Ain't easy feeding and housing you, you know? You need to help out more."

Nodding quickly, Luffy fumbled into her outfit. After, she took to the mirror beside the man. "Buggy, can you help me with the make-up again; you're much better at it than I will ever be."

Buggy nodded in agreement to that. "You need to work on that," he commented before splashing a handful of white powder across her face. "You'd make a terrible clown on your own," he continued, rubbing the thick substance upon her skin. He soon added in the finishing touches: bright pink cheeks, dark little lashes, blood red lips. "A killer clown," he muttered to himself, almost proud of his work. Shrugging, he glanced towards the door. "It's about time to start the show."

Touching her new face, Luffy nodded. "Hopefully, we'll draw in a rich crowd today."

Cocking his stare back towards her, Buggy smirked. "Better pray for that if you want to eat tonight."

Luffy never took Buggy's threats seriously. Even if they did do poorly in collecting coin, he did provide her with a fine dinner most nights. _If not for him and Shanks, I'd be living on the streets…_The clown was a strange man, and even if it seemed unlikely, he had a soft heart to him at times, deep down inside. "Let's go, then," she spoke softly, following after him and out of his broken down house.

* * *

Buggy drew in a crowd easily, performing silly tricks and even sillier gestures. Sometimes he'd balance himself upon a round ball, juggling knives all the while. Other times, he'd draw in the crowds with magic—mere illusions, but interesting to witness nonetheless. Buggy the clown knew how to entertain, and if Luffy were not his assistant, she would gladly watch him any day.

But that wasn't the case.

With round innocent eyes and a bright white smile, she'd assist him in whatever his needs be. It was her job to play the part as the "cute assistant," as Shanks had put it, giving the crowd a wink here and there. _We draw them in, and then rob them blind…_

Cocking her head, Luffy did a quick spin, making sure to observe those who had stopped to watch the show: young children, old grandparents, couples, and everybody in between. While it was much easier to pick the pockets of the elderly, Buggy always stressed the importance of the rich.

"_The rich will make more profit than any handful of old geezers,"_ Buggy would always stress to her. If there ever happened to be somebody of high status at one of their side-street performances, it was her job to deal with them.

Stopping to pose, Luffy glanced up at the crowd, blinking as she took in every face. Wide eyes stared back at her, wide and happy and full of excitement. They were eating her and Buggy up, taking in every move and gesture and magical trick. Pulling back, she quickly pointed at the clown for the crowd to focus on.

Luffy's eyes found him easily then as she circled the crowd as a vulture would circle its prey. He stood taller than the rest, confidence in his stance. As she slowly crept around the group, she made sure to never remove her probing stare from his face, taking in the deep scare that cut across his hard facial expression. His coat hung off his shoulders, raven hair slicked back and dull eyes piercing forward.

_That's the one, _she thought greedily, knowing that any man of his stature meant a profitable day. _While he's focused on Buggy's show, I'll pick his pockets…_

Robbing others was, originally, quite difficult for Luffy to learn. She made many mistakes, caused some fights, but over the weeks, learned how to finally do so without being noticed. Her small hands proved more useful than any of Buggy's other goons, that's why the clown always had her accompany him to the shows. And most importantly: she was quick.

Moving in fast, Luffy slipped a hand in, searching the coat pockets first. Her fingers met the cold taste of coin, and greedily, she took them all. Then, making sure to occasionally shoot a glance up at the man's scarred face; she slid her hand in further. Holding her breath, she found paper: cash.

Pulling away, she slipped the money deep within the secret pockets of her dress, slowly tip-toeing back and towards the alley way. _Wait down there for Buggy…like always…_

When she managed to step back a good distance, her hair flew back as she whipped around, quickly making her way down the alley way. A giant smile came to her then as she fondled the coin and paper in her pockets, eyes gleaming. She had done good—amazing in fact, making this by far her greatest robbery.

Luffy never felt guilty from robbing the rich, especially if it meant she could eat hearty another night. _And Buggy will be so proud of me…this will help out everybody so much._ Now all that was left was the waiting game. _Buggy should be finished in about five to ten min—_

Her face met the rough kiss of the alley way's wall, palms shooting up to brace herself for the impact. Somebody had her pressed against the wall, fingers digging into her shoulder. With gritted teeth, she gasped out in pain. Quickly she tried to force her fist back at her attacker, hoping to fight him off her.

The person behind her met her fist, pushing it high above her head and against the wall. Hot breath touched her ear, her cheeks being forced even more against the rough surface of the building. She could feel the thick layer of her clown makeup smear. "You thought I didn't notice that little stunt back there?" His voice was cold, sending shivers up her spine.

Luffy whimpered as the man pushed her deeper against the way, pain slowly beginning to afflict her flesh. She tried to wiggle free, but failed.

"I knew what you were doing before you even slipped this little hand of yours in my pocket," the man continued, his nails lightly digging into the back of her hand. "Is that what you two do? Lure people in with those flashy tricks only to rob them?"

"I," she mumbled weakly against the wall, feeling the tears begin to well up from a mixture of pain and utter fear. _This…this never happened before. If anybody caught us, they'd deal with Buggy…not me…_She manage to side-glance down the alley way, taking in how far down they were, how far away they were from the rest of the world. Luffy's heart pounded hard.

"You what?" the man muttered harshly into her ear. "Are you going to beg for forgiveness?" His nails dug deeper into her hand and she could feel her skin start to tear. "Do you even know what happens to little thieves like yourself?"

Biting down on her bottom lip, she fought back a pained whimper. Her mind went numb and any words she wanted to cry out were trapped in her throat.

"Nothing to say?" the man asked, pressing his chest against her back. The air in her chest broke free from her mouth and she struggled to keep herself standing. "Do you know what _I_ do to little thieves?"

Gasping out, Luffy finally spoke. "I didn't take much—"

"Wrong answer," the man snapped, cutting her off. "It doesn't matter how much you took: you were caught. I don't take kindly to being robbed."

Wincing, Luffy responded with, "If you knew I was r-robbing you, why'd you let me do it?" It hurt to speak and breathing became more and more difficult.

The man took a moment to answer. She could feel the muscles of his face flex from whatever expression he was making. "I wanted to see how much you would be able to take in that short amount of time," he muttered into her ear, easing up just a tad bit on her. "It wasn't much, though, but for a little thief like you—"

Luffy quickly shot her elbow in, meeting his hard stomach. It stopped him long enough for her to break free, pushing away from him and heading for the open streets. Her flee was cut short with his hand finding her neck, drawing her in tight towards his chest. His fingers played with the nape of her neck for a moment before tightening in, slowly closing off her breathing passage.

Frantically, she clawed at that hand, wincing as he drew her back into the shadows of the alleyway.

"A fighter's spirit" he huffed, voice more alive than before. "I half expected to find a boy, but…" He trailed off as his finger dipped down into the curve above her sternum. "Women always prove to be the sneakiest."

Her muscles began to ache from the lack of breathing, body beginning to grow ever tired. Her hands stayed put upon his hand, fingers trying their best to pry him away. "It's…" she muttered weakly, out of breath, "…it's the only means I know of."

"Hmm?" the man asked. "That's not very creative."

Frowning, Luffy tried again to pull away.

"Stop fighting."

"Never," she muttered back.

He chuckled against her ear, and much to her surprised, released her before throwing her back against the wall. While free from his clutch, she was now facing him, meeting his deep gaze. His scar seemed even more horrifying in the dark, and his tall stature made him look almost hellish.

Breathing heavily, Luffy brought her hand up to her neck, rubbing at her sore flesh. Her weak stare searched his expression, waiting for what he was going to do next. She watched as his hand—his _only_ hand she noticed then—reach into his pocket, drawing out a strange brown object.

He lite it aflame, bringing it to his lips and his eyes never left hers. Smoke escaped from his mouth as he huffed out, cocking a brow before speaking. "You're younger than I figured," he said, voice back to that haunting dull calm. When she didn't respond, he continued on. "I can only imagine what lead you down this path." He paused, eyes slowly dropping before traveling back up her small frame. "You should do _real_ work for a living."

Luffy swallowed hard. Her grandfather always warned her about her tendency to snap back, always going on and on about how she'd get in trouble over her remarks. She was never one to listen. "You offering?" she weakly muttered back, hard stare meeting his once again.

He smirked and took another puff of his cigar. "It would be cruel of me to send a youth to the jailers, wouldn't it?" He raised a brow, but still, she kept quiet. "You need to resolve this little mess you've created, don't you? Either do that or be hauled off to jail—and I'm sure a young girl like you wouldn't fare well in such environments."

"What are you suggesting?" Luffy whispered, pushing herself back against the wall and away from him as much as possible.

"For my silence over this robbery, come work for me as a maid." His words were dull but his eyes burned with an excitement that made Luffy's stomach turn. "I'm currently in the need of one, and you seem to fit the needs…the needs of my home."

Breathing softer, Luffy glanced past him and down the alleyway.

"I can pay you, if it's money you want," he continued. "Offer you a home—a good one, better than whatever rats nest you're living in now."

Glancing back up at him, Luffy asked simply, "Why?"

He ran his hand through his hair, slicking back any loose strands. "Hmm?"

"Why," she huffed, "why are you offering so much? I…I just robbed you, but…" _But he wants me to come work for him? Offer me pay and a home? What game is he playing?_

His piercing stare soften slightly and a smirked tugged at his lips. "I have my reasons, one of which being my mercy and heartache over sending a youth to their end." The way he spoke made her doubt his words.

But still, she had only two choices. _Fight him on it and risk getting sent in to the jailers, or take up his offer._ Swallowing, Luffy glanced down at her shoes, mind frantically trying its best to figure out the man's game.

"Time's ticking," the man spoke. "It's a nice day out, promising a healthy stroll to the sheriff's."

Luffy's eyes darted up to his at that, fear clearly written all over her face. "I…" Biting down on her bottom lip, she slowly nodded. "I'll go with you."

A devil of a smile came to him then. "Good," he spoke, breathing in another round of cigar smoke. "Clean up and I'll lead you home."

Glancing down the alleyway, she began with, "My home is…"

"With me now," he finished for her. "Clean. Up. I can't risk being seen with you looking like such trash."

Slowly, she turned and began her walk down the alleyway, the sound of his shoes following after her filling her ears. Luffy lead him to Buggy's home, stopping before the door. Looking back, she whimpered, "I'll go get my things."

"Hurry," he huffed, pressing his back against the wall of the house. "This place reeks of piss and shit."

Quickly she entered, heading straight for the one bathroom of the house. The basin inside was filled with icy water, but she splashed it across her face nonetheless. She looked up at a dirty mirror, eyes searching the faint bruise marks across her pale neck. Her fingers touched it gently, a soft pain being triggered.

_That man…is dangerous. But going to jail would be worse…_ Luffy found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. _What am I to do…?_ Lowering her brows, she spent one more mere second taking in her face before pulling away and heading for a shared bedroom.

She occupied one corner, with three others of Buggy's household occupying the other corners. Nobody appeared home and she quickly slipped out of the clown dress. At that moment, she wanted to cry from fear, but fought back the urge. With shaky hands, she dressed herself and packed whatever limited amount of items she owned.

_Grandfather warned you about venturing out on your own…_

She sniffed.

_He told you. He told you!_

Everything was stuffed into the ragged duffel bag, her small eyes searching the bare room. Nothing more was there for her to pack, leaving her with one last task.

_They're going to worry about you…Shanks, maybe even Buggy…_

Picking up a pen, she quickly jotted down this:

_Something came up. I'll visit as soon as possible. Don't worry._

_Luffy_

That was it, nothing more to do. Flexing her fist, Luffy tossed the pen down upon the desk table before weakly turning around. Her heart shattered against her chest, blood pumping fast.

_What will come of this, I wonder?_ She entered the hallway, walking down towards the main door entrance. _Do I walk to my doom?_ With weak fingers, she pulled the door open. _Or will this be the beginning to a better life?_ Luffy liked to believe that latter, but as her gaze found that of that man's, she could only feel fear trickle down her spine.

"You still look like trash," he huffed, rolling his cigar between his fingers. "But I doubt you ever learned how to dress properly."

Luffy only responded by a weak gaze.

"Follow."

And she did just that.

* * *

The man led her through the crowded streets, pace slow, and she occasionally had to stop herself from walking too quickly. Luffy preferred to keep behind him, a good safe distance. The poorer section of the city began to thin out into middle class territory, with more greenery and better dressed citizens.

He stopped suddenly, causing her to almost bump into him, her nose barely gazing the fabric of his coat. Glancing up, she found his head cocked back towards her, hard eyes gazing down. "Get in."

Cocking a brow, she peered past him, eyes landing on one sleek black automobile. Her stare widened, surprise taking over. _He can afford a car?_ Quickly she looked back up to him. _He must be really rich…_

The door to the car was opened, another man built in almost equal stature appearing. "Everything finished, sir?" the man asked before slowly eyeing Luffy. He had a scar down the side of his face and dull pair of eyes to match. He glanced back up at the other man. "Sir?"

"Yes," he said. "And she's coming with us."

The man operating the car nodded once before holding the door open for them. When the man entered, Luffy hesitantly peered inside. _I've never ridden inside one of the cars before…_

"Stop messing around and get in," the man ordered, voice clearly annoyed.

Blinking, she nodded once before slipping inside, taking the seat beside him. His body loomed over hers and it made her flesh break out in goosebumps. Rubbing her hands between her knees, Luffy glanced out the window as the car engine started.

The man driving glanced back into the passenger section before simply asking, "Anywhere else, sir?"

"No."

The car moved forward then, causing her to stiffen. It felt strange to sit in such a machine, and while she would have been excited any other day, she felt nervous at that moment. They sat in silence for a good ten minutes before he decided to address her again.

"From now on, you will either address me as "Sir" or "Master," choose your poison." Pausing, he glanced out his own window. "There is a head maid at the mansion; she'll show you what tasks you must complete on a daily business. I expect no trouble from you."

Licking her dry bottom lip, Luffy nodded in agreement. "But…" glancing down at her feet, she mumbled, "But I don't know your name yet…"

His eyes traveled back down on her and she could feel his hard stare digging into her. Glancing up, she quickly added, "sir."

The car came to a halt, with the driver quickly hopping off his seat. He arrived at the man's door first, opening it wide for him.

"It's Crocodile, little thief," he answered before exiting. He didn't wait for her to respond, moving past the car and towards the monster of a mansion before them.

Luffy slipped out silently, eyes taking in the beauty before her. She had heard tales of grand estates and beautiful gardens, but this was something beyond anything she could ever imagine.

"Miss?" His voice—while slightly softer than that of Crocodiles—startled her. "Your bag?"

Forcing her gaze away from the mansion, she retrieved her items, offering the driver one soft smile. "Oh, it's Luffy," she told him when he cocked a brow.

The man shrugged slightly. "I didn't ask." He paused for a second before adding, "He'll get mad if you don't follow him." With one last dull stare, he closed the car door and left.

"Oh…" Luffy frowned when left to herself. Swallowing, she turned towards the mansion, eyes searching for her new employer. He stood at the mansion entrance down a stone pathway, body turned towards her. _He's waiting…_

Clutching her bad tightly, Luffy made her way down the stone pathway.

* * *

**To be continued…**

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**Next time: **Luffy is introduced to the fellow help, including one wild cook, a friendly gardener, and an old head maid. She begins her life as Crocodile's newest maid.

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**Thanks for reading!**

**Quick A/N:** Crocodile doesn't sport his hook while walking around, being causal, etc. But the hook will make an appearance. Also, Doflamingo will become a major character eventually (hopefully sooner than later) so that's why I have him listed out in the major characters.

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**About Luffy's Character in this story: I'm posting this in the first chapter (originally posted in chapter seven) for new readers:** I suppose I should have addressed this from the get-go and I apologize for waiting until now to state the following. As many of you can tell, Luffy's character appears out of character, being this shy and easily intimidated character when opposed to canon Luffy's confidence/recklessness/stubbornness/etc. I did so on purpose, and I'll try to the best of my abilities to explain why I did as such without giving away the plot/ending. (I also apologize for how lengthy this explanation may be).

I write Luffy as shy and easily intimated on purpose because my long term goal is to show how Luffy develops as a character, going from, I suppose, weak/unfamiliar qualities of the canon character into these super confident/stubborn/reckless character traits. Right now, Luffy comes across OOC. I guess that's the price I must pay if I want to play around with the idea of doing the whole major "character development" in regards to Luffy...

Now this is where it'll get tricky for me to explain myself without giving away too much plot:

Luffy, as you can probably assume from what I just stated, won't stay as this shy person, and as she, uh, experiences certain things via Crocodile, she'll grow in confidence, and due to other key plot developments, she eventually have to face/clash with him. I have plans/plot/scenes where Luffy will evolve in confidence/stubbornness/recklessness/etc.

Which also adds onto why I made Luffy shy in the first place. Since I made him Fem!Luffy for this particular story, I wanted to keep to the idea of women of the Victoria era being this shy/not-really-allowed-to-express-themselves-sexually type of character.

I chose Luffy because Luffy is confident and stubborn and not afraid to get in Crocodile's face. So I wanted to show-thorough this story-how one particular version of Luffy can go from point A (weak) to point B (strong) through certain events.

I hope this makes sense, or helps a little bit. I know it's vague, and I apologize for that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this note and for any concerns you may have about how I'm characterizing Luffy. I just want you readers to know that I didn't just slap Luffy's name on there because I wanted to get more views/reads, because I would never do that. If I wanted to create an "OC," I would have, but I wanted to play around/challenge myself with developing Luffy into confidence. : )


	2. Maid

**To Serve at his Command|** Maid

Luffy was sat in the waiting room, left to herself to admire the exotic as well as beautiful paintings hanging about. The carpet beneath her shoes had a strange texture and pattern—obviously imported in from some far away land she had no idea about. The walls were a thick red, almost purple, and scattered down the way were electrical lamps—something she wasn't quite used to. Yes, she had _seen_ electricity, but to _own_ it was entirely something else.

Swallowing, she glanced towards the door to his office. Crocodile was inside and he had ordered her to wait outside, for what, she did not know.

_This place is so nice…_The mansion was by far the nicest home she ever visited, and it sent chills down her back to think she would now work there. Quickly shifting in her seat, she winced when it creaked under her.

"You must be the new help."

Glancing up, she was met with a pair of soft brown eyes and messy white hair. A woman with a sea of wrinkles stared back down at her, face bleak and eyes tired. "The young master informed me of your arrival."

_Young master…? How old is this lady?_ Blinking, Luffy nodded before arising. "I, uh…"

Turning around, the woman bided for her to follow. "I requested help many months ago," the woman spoke as Luffy followed her down a hallway. "The young master is not one to bring in new help that often, so I must admit I'm surprised of your being here." The old woman paused before adding, "I will not tolerate failure."

"Yes, ma'am," Luffy quickly answered with a firm voice.

They came to a stairwell, one set going up, and another going down; they followed the path traveling downwards. "The servant quarters are located on the upper-basement floor. Since you are female—and being the only other one besides myself working at the mansion—you will receive your own room; however, this can always change if the young master wishes to hire more help." Another hallway appeared before them, this time darker and less attractive than any of the rooms located above. "You are allowed two meals a day—once in the morning, once at night. A quick afternoon snack may be yours if you so desire it."

"Yes, ma'am," Luffy commented as they approached a series of doors.

The old woman stopped before one door, hand gently resting on the doorknob. She turned back to eye Luffy. "You are here to serve the young master in whatever needs he has of you, as well as care for his mansion. I am the head maid—so you will also do any additional chores I give you. Each morning, you are expected to aid the master in dressing and serve him his breakfast, followed by fetching his morning paper and setting up his office for the day. After such, you are expected to clean what is needed cleaning, including the master's and other servant's clothing and bedsheets." The woman opened the door and allowed Luffy to enter.

It smelt old—a strange odor of dust hanging in the air. The walls were pale-white and bare, and the only furniture inside were a small bed, one desk, a wall-length mirror, and a chest. While it wasn't as friendly looking as that of Buggy's rooms, it was her own to do with.

"You will find cleaning supplies in a storage room south of here, near the end of the hallway. Mid-afternoon you will attend to the young master, assist him and complete any tasks given to you, including serving him his lunch. By evening, you are expected to help the cook set the dinner table and fetch the master a wine bottle from the cellar." The woman paused to take a breath, eyes searching Luffy's own. "While it is allowed, it is not proper to chit chat too much with the fellow help; work first, play later."

Luffy nodded. "Anything else, ma'am?"

The woman ran a hand through her hair, frail fingers flexing briefly. "You may refer to me as my name, Tsuru. But always refer to the young master by proper title."

Blinking, Luffy nodded once more. "Yes, ma'am—I mean, Tsuru, ma'am…"

"Your name?" Tsuru asked once before heading towards the door. When she reached the doorframe, she paused for an answer.

"It's Luffy, ma'am."

"Miss Luffy, if you would leave your belongings here and follow me?"

Quickly Luffy dumped her bag down upon the cot of a bed, following after the woman on silent feet. The pace the woman had was quite fast, surprising Luffy and causing her to smirk softly. Returning back to the stairwell, Tsuru lead them back up.

"You've already seen the young master's office doors, so I will introduce you to the other rooms you will occupy." Tsuru led her to the kitchen, much bigger than any Luffy ever stepped into, and it—embarrassedly so—caused her stomach to growl. She was always one to enjoy food.

Pretending not to have heard Luffy's gut crying out, Tsuru gestured to the kitchen appliances. "The cook will prepare the food here and you will carry it out to either the dining hall or to the master directly. You will also aid the cook in cleaning after each meal." Pausing, the woman nodded off towards the hallway. "Down the hall is the dining room."

Glancing back, Luffy nodded.

"Follow."

Soon after, Luffy was shown the laundry room, the guest rooms, the bathing rooms, the wine cellar, the social parlor, outside towards the garden, and an arrangement of other rooms. It took more than an hour for the tour of the mansion to finally end, and once it was as such, she was sent off to change into proper attire.

"It may not fit as well, but you can always adjust it in due time," Tsuru explained as Luffy pinched at the loose fabric of the maid uniform. It was shorter than she expected, ending a few inches above her knees and it came with a pair of stockings that reminded her of her clown uniform. "You will be provided with only two pairs; anything more will come out of your pay."

Nodding, Luffy went to look at the mirror. Her fingers picked at the collar, tugging it up to hide the now darker bruises on her neck. She caught Tsuru's gaze in the reflection and went red in the face.

It appeared that for a moment, Tsuru wanted to say something, but kept quiet. Finally, after a moment of silence, she spoke. "The young master wants you to start right away. He has requested that you tend to him in his office as of now…"

Turning around, Luffy forced a weak smile. "I will, ma'am."

"He gets in sour moods, do not anger him," Tsuru warned as Luffy slowly walked away, body timid and eyes darting around as she tried to remember the correct rout to the office. "And do try not to focus too much on the scars; he knows when you do."

And with that, Luffy was left alone in the hallway, the soft footsteps of Tsuru fading away as she took to the opposite direction. _She wasn't too bad_, she thought before finding the stairwell. Slowly, she walked upwards and continued down another hallway, towards that office.

Luffy could feel her heart pick up as she approached it, the smell of cigar smoke beginning to fill her nostrils. Hesitantly, she tapped her knuckles against the smooth oak door.

"Enter." His voice held a sense of confidence to it; loud yet in control.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the heavy door open a tad bit before slipping in. The office was dark and cool in temperature, with the curtains drawn and it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the low lights. Once so, she found him facing away in his chair, towards the window behind him, even though it was covered by dark green drapes.

"Sir?" she weakly called out, confused as to what to do.

"Sit," he ordered but not turning to face her. A puff of smoke traveled away from the chair and evaporated against the ceiling.

There were not many chairs in his office, a pair off to the corner near a bookcase, and another across from his desk. She assumed he meant the latter and quickly took to it, making sure not to make too much noise as she sat down. Flattening down her skirt, she slowly glanced up, eyes searching his wide office chair.

"Has Tsuru shown you around?"

"Yes…sir," Luffy answered softly.

His chair turned, hard eyes finding hers. The coat he once sported was nowhere to be seen and Luffy couldn't help but take in his broad shoulders and the fine attire clothing him. "How old are you?" The question caught her off guard, but after a moment of thinking it over, she decided it wasn't _too_ odd of a question.

"Seventeen, sir," she answered after avoiding his probing stare. He made her feel so small with those eyes of his.

Crocodile inhaled another breath of his cigar before resting his arm across the armrest. He sat there, watching her for what seemed to be an eternity, and it wasn't until she risked glancing up that he spoke again. "Was that shack you led me to today your family's estate?"

Blinking twice, Luffy shook her head _no_. "No, my family is in another city."

He cocked a thin brow, obviously interested in her answer. "Then was that _your_ estate?"

Again, she shook her head _no._ "It was my employer's…my _old_ employer's house." Glancing down at her hands, she continued. "He allowed us to stay there as long as we made him coin."

"A thieves' den, is it?" Crocodile chuckled softly at his own remark before adding, "And how did a girl of merely seventeen end up in such an establishment? Are you a runaway?" He took another inhale of his cigar.

She met his gaze face on. "I suppose I ended up there as I did here: by chance, sir. One of the leaders of the…_group_ found me and offered me work. And from there…"

Crocodile narrowed his stare as he leaned back in chair, fingers rolling the cigar playfully. He took a moment to process the information. "I can only imagine the sort of _things_ you've experienced since running away."

"I didn't, sir," Luffy corrected him. "I left home merely for work, to…"

"To what?"

Luffy bit down on her bottom lip, unsure if she should continue on. _I don't want to drop all of my family's struggles on his desk like this…_"Just for work, sir," she answered.

Tapping his fingers across the armrest once, he brought the cigar to his mouth and left it there. "Get up."

Widening her stare, Luffy pushed herself up and kept her arms folded timidly under her bust. "Sir?"

He gestured to the spot next to his chair. "Come closer."

For a mere second, she kept sill, confused as to what he meant, but when he nodded off to the spot once more, she slowly took those few steps towards him.

His eyes left her face and traveled down. "Turn around," he ordered.

She did as such, slowly and unsure of herself. When she returned back to facing him, she watched a look of annoyance cross his face briefly.

"The uniform is loose on you," he said dully. "When my tailor comes by in a week or so, be sure to ask for measurements to tighten it up." His hand found its way to her outfit, fingers pulling at a piece of it. "You're thin," he murmured, more to himself, and for a moment, his eyes found hers, smirk glued on.

Luffy found no words to respond with.

His hand lingered on her then, fingers slowly tracing the waist trim of the uniform. His gaze hardened but remained focus on the bottom portion of her dress. "Tell me," he whispered coolly, never meeting her wide stare, "did those thieves have you do anything else besides rob people?"

She didn't understand. _What…what does he mean?_ "I don't under—"

His gaze shot up to hers, narrow yet demanding. "I can only imagine what scandalous things you had to do in order to survive…was _that _the case, little thief?"

Her cheeks grew on fire then. "N-no, sir," she muttered out, pulling back but stopping when he took a grip of her dress, keeping her still. "That…nothing like that happened." The words poured out of her as her face grew in heat. "I…I've never…" She didn't know what else to say and she found her body tensing up from the sheer embarrassment of his questions.

_Why is he asking such indecent questions? What…what does he gain from such information?_

Crocodile blew out some smoke towards her direction and she struggled to breathe it in. And he drew her in towards his face, eyes mere inches away from her own. "You must excuse me for being so blunt, but I will _not_ have another man's whore living in my home." His hand slid up her body, gripping her jawline and holding her still when she began to pull away. "Is that the case?" he murmured softly, almost intimately.

Frowning weakly, she shook her head. "No…no, sir," she whispered as fear took over. She had never been this close to a man before, and never had she been handled as such.

He ran a thumb across her bottom lip and she couldn't help but turn an even darker shade of red. Upon instinct, her hands shot up to grab his wrist, but he was stronger and kept his hold on her true. "Never?" he asked, ignoring her attempts to remove his hand from her face. A smile came to him. "That's good to know." He pulled his hand away, leaning back in that chair of his, and breathing in more of his cigar.

With sweaty palms, she touched her jawline before glancing back over at him, utter fear written across her face.

"Don't look so shocked," he muttered before turning to face his desk. He slowly picked up a pen and began to jot something down upon a parchment. "I want you to go fetch me my lunch, and a glass of red wine. I'll be dining in my office today."

And just like that, he acted as if what just happened actually didn't just happen. Standing there, she watched the muscles in his arm flex as he wrote, heart still pounding hard.

"You can't do your chores if you just stand there all day," he informed her coldly. "I've requested something from you and I don't like asking twice."

Nodding once, Luffy quickly left, slipping through the doors quietly. She found herself resting upon the back of the doors, trying her best to calm her breathing and shaky hands.

_Is that normal for maids?_ She wondered, fluttering her eyes shut. Coming from a poor family meant they could never afford servants, so she never knew proper interactions between servant and master. _But is that…__**was**__ that proper?_ She cocked her head back, eyes searching the smooth door behind her.

Licking her bottom lip, she shuttered at the feel of him running his thumb across it. Although, she knew standing there like that wouldn't serve her best. _He wants his food and I'm afraid to keep him waiting._

And yes, for the first time in her young life, she was truly afraid of her employer. _While Buggy was grouchy, he never used forced…never touched me like that…_Her brows arched at the thought of her life just a mere few hours prior. _Why did things go the way they did?_

She contemplated running back home…_where Buggy, Shanks, and the rest of the group are waiting for me. I can pretend all of this didn't happen…but…_But there was that looming threat of Crocodile reporting her in. And because of being the naïve child she was, she led him straight to Buggy's house.

_Even if I do run away, he would find me and maybe even report Buggy and the rest…_Luffy shook her head, deciding that she needed to protect them.

With that, she pushed herself straight up and went for the kitchen.

* * *

"Oi, oi!" The cook was a chipper young man, with blonde hair and a slender frame. Luffy timidly entered the kitchen, watching as he rushed from one counter to the next. He had his back to her, but for some reason, he knew she was there. "You the new help?"

"Yes," she softly answered, stiffening when he whipped around, wide eyes growing ever wider.

"O!" he gasped out, dropping a spatula into a bowl of cream. "Tsuru didn't say anything about a cute girl!"

Luffy blinked once. "Who? Where?"

The cook shook his head, offering her a soft smile. "You," he answered and in a flash, he was by her side, hand taking her own. She tried to rip it away from him, but his tender fingers kept it between his own. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Sanji, the one and only chef here."

Finally prying her hand back, she nodded weakly. "Uh, hello," she said softly as she made sure to take a step away from the overly friendly cook. "I'm Luffy, the new—"

"The new maid," he finished for her, excited. "Tsuru mentioned you earlier, but I thought you'd just be another old woman—not to say an older woman isn't something to behold as an item of beauty."

Cocking a brow, Luffy slowly said, "Oh, well…the master, he requested his lunch." Peeking around the chef's shoulder, she glanced at the wide arrange of small dishes, ranging from fresh greens and simmering meats.

Pushing past her gently, Sanji pointed to the table, a proud look in his eyes. "Today's lunch consists of a lean slice of roast beef—soaked in a creamy vegetable gravy substance." Quickly he moved over to the vegetables. "Served with cabbage salad, peas, and cauliflower. And I prepared vanilla wafers as a desert."

"It looks…amazing," Luffy admitted, eyes widening at the glorious feast before her. _To think if I ate like this every day…_Shaking her head clear, she returned her stare to the cook. "You're talented."

He smiled at that before moving on. "For a drink, I prepared a strong black coffee—"

Luffy interrupted him. "He requested red wine."

Sanji, pausing, widened his stare ever slightly, but eventually nodded. "Yes, red wine," he muttered as he crossed over to a cabinet. "Yes, we have some here…" Pulling out a glass, he filled it to the rim and for a second, he sent her a strange look. "Sir Crocodile doesn't typically start drinking wine this early, but I suppose…"

Cocking her head, Luffy awaited for him to finish his sentence, but he failed to do so. Instead, all he did was shake his head softly and offer her a small smile.

"Here, I'll place these on a platter for you to carry to the master," Sanji stated softly. "And once he sends you back, you can dine on the leftovers."

Luffy's heart pounded, fingers twitching. "Really?" she practically gushed out, eyes darting back at the meal upon the kitchen counter. She could already taste the roast beef melting in her mouth. "That would be great," she exclaimed as she moved over to the platter, gently picking it up as to not spill the wine. "I'll be back real soon," she added before heading out.

Sanji said something in response, but she paid him no attention. All she could focus on was the food and how wonderful it was going to be to pig out. _Maybe working here won't be that bad?_ She smiled as she continued down the hallway. _Yeah, Crocodile seems a bit odd and rather aggressive, but this food…it's amazingly beautiful._

More determined than ever, she approached the office doors once more, shifting her weight so she could safely knock on the doors. "Sir," she called out, "your food." Upon instinct, her fingers reached out for the doorknob, stopping just before she opened the door. When he finally gave command for her to enter, she pulled it fully open and quickly scurried back inside.

"The chef prepared roast beef for your dining pleasures today, sir," she softly explained as she approached the middle of the office. Cocking her head, she watched as Crocodile kept his gaze down upon the papers in front of him.

"Place it over there," Crocodile quietly ordered, not looking up at her. He gestured at a table in the corner of the office with his hand before returning back to writing.

Turning around, she took to setting the table, placing the main course of beef in the middle with the glass of wine beside it. Behind such, she placed the plates of vegetables and creamy gravy. The smells were intoxicating and it made her stomach protest out, quietly though.

She never even noticed his tall presence behind her. "Stand over there and wait," his dull voice order, startling her. She quickly scooted over, watching as he took to the table chair, one hand reaching out for the wine and sipping it slowly. A smile played with the corner of his lip after his sip.

Chewing on her lip, she hesitantly made her way to the spot he told her to stand, which happened to be a mere three feet behind him. Luffy kept her hands folded together over her chest, wide eyes watching as he began to eat.

"Stand with your arms to your sides," he ordered without even looking back at her.

Blinking, she dropped said arms, frowning at the awkward stance. It felt odd for her to remove her hands from her front; they acted as guards in a sense against the rest of the world, but hanging them to her sides left her defenseless in a way.

"You never explained as to why you left home to find work," he asked suddenly but with that voice still calm and under control.

She watched as he took a bite of the roast beef, pausing afterwards and slightly cocking his head back to imply he was waiting for an answer. Upon instinct, she brought her hands back upwards to fiddle her fingers together.

"Keep them at your sides," he ordered once more, his voice growing in agitation. "I've already told you this once."

"Oh, yes…sir," she mumbled as her hands fell back down. Licking her lips, she tried to find a way to answer his question without giving away too much personal information, which proved to be a difficult task. "I just felt it was time I ventured out to find work, sir," she finally answered, and while it wasn't exactly true, it wasn't exactly a complete lie.

Crocodile paused to take another sip, leaving the rim of the glass to linger at his lips. Once finished, he placed it down and she could see the corner of his lips tug up into a smirk. "You're holding something back, little thief," he began before turning in his seat to meet her eyes. "I'll have you know I'm not a trusting man and it makes me quite suspicious when my servants aren't forthcoming with information."

"…" She just stood there, unsure of how to respond.

"Now I'll ask once more—something you should already know is a task I don't enjoy doing—why did you leave the safety of your home?" His eyes narrowed, piercing hers and digging for any secrets she had locked away. His arm hung heavy over the back of the chair, fingers tapping softly against the wood.

Her throat grew dry, body tense. She didn't want to speak but the way he looked at her peeled her skin back, revealing her bare bones and tender flesh. Frowning, she glanced down for fear of that heavy stare of his.

Crocodile chuckled then, shaking his head once before turning back to return to his meal. "I don't understand why you're being so difficult," he said as he brought a bite of cauliflower to his lips. "If you think casting your gaze aside like that is going to get you off the hook, you have another thing coming."

"…"

"Bashful little maids are only cute in _certain _situations, and this is _not_ one of them, little thief. Choose your path wisely when dealing with me."

Her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth slowly parted. "I left home because my family is in need of money," she started, voice pitchy. Her brother's voice rang in her head. _You can't tell anybody this, Luffy, swear it. Nobody can know._ "We're…" She trailed off, embarrassed of admitting it.

"Poor?" he finished for her after finishing another bite of food. "Is that it?" He smirked, turning back to face her. "All this trouble over something so minimal?"

"Poor…?" she repeated softly, searching his gaze. While he was quite true on that aspect of her life, she wasn't very embarrassed over it. No, it was her family's—or more so, _Ace's_—dark secret that she was afraid of speaking of, but if he thought her issue only had to do with mere status…She nodded then, making sure to pout her lips. "Yes," she murmured softly. "That's it."

_Let him think that than actually reveal Ace's secrets…_

Crocodile laughed—louder than before—at that moment, shaking his head as he went to finish the rest of his wine. "You are too overdramatic," he said then, sniffing a little. "An issue such as that didn't deserve the amount of resistance you gave."

Luffy casted her gaze aside, glancing towards his bookshelf. "I'm sorry for doing as such, sir," she mumbled.

"Look at me," Crocodile ordered and her eyes darted to his. "From now on, you will be forthcoming with any information I ask of you. No more of this dodging around the questions crap you like to pull—I will _not _tolerate it anymore." He paused, finger slowly tracing the rim of his empty wine glass. "My servants should show the upmost loyalty to their master," he explained. "Anything less will result in severe punishment. Am I understood?" He smiled.

Widening her stare, Luffy only nodded _yes._

"Wonderful then," he exclaimed, arising from his seat and placing the wine glass down upon the platter. "You can take this back now and tend to the kitchen. You're dismissed."

Blinking, Luffy quickly gathered up the items and left, scurrying down the hallway and straight for the kitchen.

For a moment, she had lost all apatite but at the same time, she felt giddy for…_for tricking him. Not exactly, though, but to some extent. _Luffy smiled as she continued down the hallway towards the kitchen. _I didn't reveal Ace's secrets…I protected him, for another day._ And for Luffy, that meant she won.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Meeting the rest of the servants and dealing with more Crocodile.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**Stardustadventurer &amp; IMadeThisUp &amp; Son of Whitebeard: **Thank you so much for reviewing and leaving the wonderful compliments! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far! : D

**Cnerriza:** Here's chapter two! :D


	3. You're Mine

**To Serve at his Command|** You're Mine

"That look in your eyes is so familiar."

Flicking her stare up from her small plate of leftovers, Luffy cocked a brow. "Excuse me?" she asked, watching as Sanji slowly shook his head before smiling softly.

"Nothing," he answered. He took a pile of dirty plates and dumped them into the watery suds inside the sink. His hands quickly dipped in and began washing them. With his back to her, he said, "He's one intimidating guy."

_Crocodile…_

Frowning, Luffy nodded to that in agreement. "He has a way to him that…" Trailing off, she lowered her stare back down upon the food, unsure of how to finish her sentence. _How does one exactly describe a man like that?_ "I would say he was scary," she mumbled while glancing back up to Sanji, "but there's more to it than just that."

Sanji nodded. "I was like that when I first started working here," he explained, pulling out the now clean dishes all the while. "He has little patience—and I found that out the _hard_ way."

Luffy cocked a brow. "What do you—"

"It's nothing," the chef said with a dismissive wave and a soft smile. "Don't need to worry about it; I'm sure you'll do fine if you stick to his good side."

_I hope so…_

Shaking her head, she decided to change the subject. "The food is absolutely delicious!" She brought a bite of roast beef to her mouth and smiled at the rich taste. "I don't believe I've ever eaten something this good."

Sanji smiled before casting his gaze back to the sink. "Thanks," he mumbled, voice soft. "I enjoy cooking—it's a passion of mine, and if it weren't for Crocodile employing me here, I don't think I'd ever get as advanced as I am now." Pausing, he slowly placed a new pile of clean dishes upon the counter. "Sometimes the benefits out way the cons."

When Luffy went to respond to his strange comment, he quickly twirled around to cut her off. "Have you met the others here yet, huh?"

"Oh, no, but—"

He took her hand, pulling her forward from her seat. "You should," he said then, leading her out of the kitchen. "And since you don't have a long lunch break, you should at least try to meet _one _of them."

While Luffy wasn't against meeting the others, she—at that particular moment—was more interested in his earlier comments. But the blonde was determined in introducing her, so she decided to let the lingering questions die down until another time. _Besides, it's probably just nothing…_

Reaching the end of the kitchen hallway—a servant's pathway—they came to one of many doors leading to the back gardens and stables. "The gardener is a friendly fellow," Sanji explained as he held the door open for Luffy. "He can tell you everything there is to plants."

Outside, a cool summer breeze drew by, air brushing behind her neck. Fragrances from the flowers embedding the ground all around her filled her nostrils, and chirping could be heard somewhere out back. "If you continue past here, you'll eventually find the stables and even farther out, the hunting grounds."

Luffy cocked her head back. "Hunting grounds?"

Sanji nodded. "Whenever there are guests, the master will offer to take them out to hunt for game—typically just quails and other smaller birds, but sometimes we get in larger shipments for special guests." He shrugged. "And then for supper, I'll cook whatever was shot down."

Grimacing, Luffy glanced back to the acres of lush green land before her. Small dots of trees and pathways could be seen if she squinted. "Oh," she mumbled when Sanji moved past her.

"Come," he bided, drawing her attention over to a brown shack. "The gardener…" Trailing off, he knocked gently upon the door. "You in there?"

With a loud creak, the door opened, one long nose poking out before the rest of the owner's face. "What do want, I'm working here?" Blinking, the young man glanced over to Luffy, to which she offered him a friendly smile. "Oh?"

"Introducing the new help," Sanji answered after pointing to Luffy. "Her name is Luffy and the master hired her as of today."

Tilting his head, the man nodded once before grinning. "Welcome, welcome," he greeted as he took a step back into the shack. "Watch your step as you enter—the steps are cracked in a few of the floor boards."

Hesitantly, Luffy followed Sanji in, the smell of dirt and manure taking over the sweet smells of flowers. She didn't care too much for said smell and found it difficult to breathe without gagging. "It's nice to meet you," she managed to spit up.

The boy turned towards her and nodded. "The same," he said before adding, "and it's Usopp." His hand quickly took her elbow, pulling her back and halting her movement. "Be careful," he huffed, pointing down to a rather large crack in the floor. "Don't want you falling through with just getting here."

She offered him an appreciative smile before tiptoeing around the crack. "Sanji showed me your work outside—it's beautiful, really." Sitting down, she flicked her gaze over to Usopp, smiling when a soft shade of pink broke out across his face.

"It's nothing," he mumbled before casting his gaze outside. Pausing, he threw his gaze over to the chef, sighing loudly. "Today's been tough, you know?"

"How come?" Sanji asked, pulling out a cigarette from his shirt pocket. He cocked one brow before offering Luffy a stick, to which she quickly declined his offer. Lighting it, he brought it to his lips to hang loosely from his mouth.

Leaning against one of the shack walls, Usopp explained, "Boss wants me to plant new flowers by next week, making sure it looks good enough to _impress_ our upcoming guests." Usopp shrugged then, eyes growing tired. "He has no idea how much work it's going to be to dig up _all_ of the plants in the garden only to then replant it."

Smirking, Sanji shook his head. "He wants everything new and flashy and extravagant just to outdo that big shot."

"Big shot?" Luffy asked out, confused as to what the two were talking about. She blinked when they drew their attentions her way, and then slowly, they shared a glance between each other.

"Uh," Usopp began, voice clearly unsure of himself. "I don't know how to explain this. Sanji?"

Quickly, the chef's eyes glanced about before he leaned in towards Luffy. "You didn't hear this from me, _but_ let's just say the master gets involved with some…_unsavory_ partnerships."

"Unsavory…?" Tilting her head to the side, Luffy frowned slightly, unsure as to what the blonde meant. "What do you mean by that?"

Tapping the side of his jaw, Sanji frowned. "I can't really go into too many details, but I'll just say to be careful around the people Sir Crocodile associates with."

"Very careful," Usopp stressed. "Some of them are really shady."

"Oh…" _That isn't very reassuring,_ Luffy thought as she drew her hands together over her lap. _I wonder…I wonder what type of work Crocodile does._ "What exactly does he do for a living?"

Sanji's eyes grew slightly and she noticed a pinch of panic run across the gardener's face. "Best not to ask such questions," Usopp answered while shaking his hands dismissingly. "Especially to the boss."

The chef nodded in agreement, casting his gaze aside as he drew in another round of smoke from his cigarette.

Suddenly, the door swung open with heavy boots coming down the steps. Luffy glanced up towards the entrance and cocked a brow when another male stopped before them. "I need some birdseed," the new stranger announced before flicking a probing stare her way.

His eyes were dull and his face was blank of any emotion. Long blonde hair swung down to his waist and an extremely light tan took to his skin.

"Oi, what kind of bird did you bring in?" Sanji asked excitedly.

The man glanced his way before calmly answering, "Flamingos."

Sanji laughed then. "That cocky bastard is seriously going all out, ain't he?" Shaking his head, he got up and offered a hand to Luffy. "Let's head out; the head maid will tear us a new one if we're gone from our duties too long." He turned to place a hand on the man's shoulder. "Watch: all the master will accomplish when they visit is start a war with such insults."

"That would be quite unfortunate," the man answered back, shrugging Sanji's grip off his shoulder.

"See you later for a game of cards then, right?" he asked the man before leading Luffy out of the shack. His pace was fast as he headed towards the mansion, obviously nervous about being late.

"What does flamingos have to do with anything?" Luffy finally asked when she couldn't figure out their conversation. _They're just a bird…why would that cause anybody to get angry?_

Halting, Sanji cocked a brow before cracking a smile. "The master is expecting a very important guest next week, and as per usual, he'll probably go hunting with said guest outback. The past few visits have been…_intense_, and well, let's say the master and this guest don't particularly see eye to eye most of the time." He paused for a second, licking his lower lip. "This guest of his has an odd fascination with flamingos, so the master is going to stock the hunting grounds with those birds as a jab."

"Oh…" Frowning, Luffy tried to put together as to why that would upset this guest, but in the end, all she did was shrug it off.

Gently placing his hand atop her head, Sanji said, "Don't worry about it, alright? Focus on doing your chores and getting through next week."

Luffy smirked. "You act as if this guest of his is _that_ bad."

The chef's eyes narrowed, lips dropping down into a small frown. "You have _no_ idea."

* * *

With evening slowly rolling in, Luffy found herself quite tired by the time she got to the laundry room. After returning from her mid-afternoon break with Sanji, Tsuru had a long list of chores for her, starting off with the tiring task of mopping the dining room floor. But with determination, she managed to get through a majority of her tasks, coming down to the next one of cleaning the master's sheets.

Kneeling down before a tub of hot soapy water, Luffy slowly began to pick through a basket of sheets. Her fingers found a soft satin fabric, pulling it out gently before pushing it down into the water. This type of work wasn't new for her; back home she would help clean the family's sheets. _But these are made out of much nicer material, so I must make sure to be as delicate as possible._

Luffy didn't want to anger her new employer by tearing up his bedding her first day.

Swooshing the fabric around, she brought it up gently against the wash board before bringing it back down. Soon, after a moment of doing such, she created a rhythm, tapping her feet as she went. Reaching her hand back, she drew out the next sheet, pushing it in deep into the water.

Bubbles formed and arose and danced about the small room. Luffy soon found herself lost in time, not realizing exactly how long she was taking to complete this particular chore. It wasn't until Tsuru came rushing in that she noticed her mistake.

"You're still at this?" Tsuru practically gasped, pushing her aside to grab the sopping wet sheets. "This should have been done earlier, when the sun was still up!" Her gaze narrowed as she tugged—with difficulty—a sheet up, water and suds dripping off of it. "How do you expect this to dry over night?"

Blinking, Luffy pulled her hands to her chest. "Oh no," she mumbled, glancing down at the sheets. _She's right…I messed up!_

"You should be preparing the dining hall by now," Tsuru continued as she bundled up the sheets to throw into the rinse water. "Go now and I'll take care of this. Do not make this mistake again!"

Bowing, Luffy quickly muttered an apology before rushing out. Wiping her wet hands down across the skit portion of her dress, she continued down the hallway towards the staircase, running up the stairs and heading straight for the kitchen. Out of breath, she stumbled inside and sent Sanji a panicked look.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she gasped before rushing over to the platters of food. "Is this the food that is to be served tonight?"

Sanji nodded, too busy with a boiling pot of something—that smelt amazing to Luffy—to ask about her out-of-breath stance. "Start setting up the table, and be quick about it. Crocodile sent in orders for diner over an hour ago."

She could sense the tension in his voice and didn't bother to say anymore. _You should have already had this done by now_, her mind screamed at her. _I hope…I hope __**he **__doesn't get mad at me._ Biting down on her lower lip, she took one of the larger platters—a plate of steaming salmon with an arrange of leafy greens circling the fish.

Without hesitance, she placed the platter down once reaching the dining room, making sure to arrange the dining utensils in proper fashion afterwards. Nodding after that, she turned and stopped when Tsuru entered, carrying extra bowls and plates of food.

"And these," the old woman said as she sat the plates down, pushing half of them across the table for Luffy to set. "You need to learn to move faster," she huffed.

"Yes, ma'am," Luffy agreed as she took to setting her portion of the food. Her eyes bugged out at the site of the thick creams and glistening platters of appetizers. At that moment, it was _very_ tempting to sneak a quick bite, but fear caused her to withhold such urges.

"Roll down your sleeves!" Tsuru sharply ordered before leaving back for the kitchen. "And go inform the young master of supper."

Nodding, Luffy rushed out once more, all the while tugging her damped sleeves down. Flattening down her skirt, she knocked on Crocodile's office doors messily, frowning and cursing under her breath afterwards. _Keep your composure!_ "Sir," she muttered out, "supper is ready."

When there was no answer, she contemplated opening the door, fingers hovering over the handle. Another moment passed by and as her fingers began to clamp down, the door was pulled open, a heavy gaze hard on her. Taking a few steps back, she bowed her head and quickly repeated herself. "Supper is ready, sir."

"I heard you the first time," Crocodile responded as he moved past her, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. For the first time, she got a view of his stump, covered with a leather holster with straps that ended just at his elbow. There was a tired look in those eyes of his and the way he walked implied he was just about ready to finish the day.

Before he had a chance to order her, she quickly followed after, making sure to keep a good three feet behind him, matching his pace to boot. _You can't risk making any more mistakes today._

Upon entering the dining room, he immediately took to the head chair, eyes glazing over the food before. After a moment, he gave an approving nod. "Tsuru," he called out calmly, to which the old woman appeared from an adjoining room.

"Yes, young master?" Tsuru asked while slightly bowing her head. Locks of her grey hair fell from out of place, sprawling down across her face.

"Go to the cellar and fetch a bottle of red wine—one of the older years, but not _too_ old." He took to a fork then, slightly pushing it into the pink salmon. "Little thief, _sit_."

Tsuru sent Luffy a confused gaze, eyes narrowed yet curious. When she left, Crocodile spoke again. "Right here," he said, gesturing once to the empty chair occupying the right seating space near his, at the corner. Swallowing, she slowly went to it, fingers tracing the back frame before pulling it out for her to sit.

She kept her gaze casted aside, hands folded tightly upon her lap. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Sanji peering in, expression curious.

"You are dismissed for the rest of the day, boy" Crocodile called out without bothering to send one look to the chef.

"Yes…yes, sir," Sanji muttered out before quickly scurrying off.

Tsuru returned then, eyes instantly taking to Luffy. They shared a blank expression and before Luffy had time to formulate a proper one, the old woman was already pouring a glass for Crocodile.

"Leave the bottle," he ordered softly. "And you may retire for the night. _She _can clean this up once I'm finished, Tsuru." He offered the woman a slight smirk before reaching out for his glass, sniffing it first before sipping it.

"Yes, young master," Tsuru answered slowly, sending Luffy one last glance. When she left, Crocodile's stare traveled over to Luffy, glass still to his lips.

Luffy quickly glanced down at the food.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, placing his drink down. He proceeded to take another bite of the salmon and after swallowing, added, "The food is quite delicious."

Her eyes met his but she didn't answer.

Reaching out for the bottle, his hard eyes glanced over the label. "1883," he murmured softly, fingers slowly tracing the bottom rim of the bottle. He filled his glass back to the top, placing the bottle down gently before glancing back her way. "Have some," he ordered while picking up the glass to hand off to her.

Shaking her head, she quickly mumbled out, "No, that's alright, sir."

Annoyance crawled across his face. "It's older than you. _Drink it._"

Chewing on her lower lip, she reached out for the glass, fingertips just _barely _grazing against his own. Slowly—oh _so_ slowly—she brought it to her lips, allowing just a sip of the dark red liquid to enter her mouth. His eyes never left hers.

It tasted like raspberry, but stronger. Forcing down the sip, she placed the glass down upon the table, eyes meeting his once more for further command.

Returning his attention to his meal, he proceeded to ask, "How was it?"

"Enjoyable," she simply answered.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lip but it died down as fast as it came. "I would hope so; that is not _cheap_ wine."

She nodded but remained silent.

"How was your first day?" he questioned then, moving onto the vegetables once finished with a half of the fish. "Have you contemplated running back to that rats nest yet?"

Her eyes—on instinct—snapped up to his face, her expression giving away her answer before she even had a chance to deny it. He smiled when he caught that look. "It seems you have. I can't fathom as to why—or, well," he paused as he sent her a sly glance, "I suppose you may be intimidated. Is that it?"

Her gaze slightly widened, her mouth opening barely. "No, sir," she quietly whispered, remembering her promise to protect Buggy, Shanks, and the rest from Crocodile's potential wrath. "Everything was alright today."

"You're a terrible liar," he stated then, reaching out for his drink again. "But answer me truthfully: is it not much better _here_ than it was back in that little hole?"

In some parts, it was. Yes, the mansion was much warmer than that of Buggy's shack, and yes, it was nice to be amongst such beautiful items. But back home in that _hole_ was Shanks and Buggy and everybody else, a simple yet happy lifestyle. Licking her lips, Luffy lied and told him, "_Yes._"

Leaning back in his chair, Crocodile tilted his head slighting, making the scar running across his face look as if it were smiling. "It must be overwhelming to change sceneries like you've have in a matter of a day. Is that what you're feeling? Overwhelmed?"

"No," she answered at first, pausing afterward and quickly adding, "_well_, a little…yes, a little, sir."

That smirk returned to him and he chuckled, as if he had just heard a joke. "But today is just the beginning," he explained coolly, those probing eyes searching her face. "Today was _baby_ steps, really. I expect things to pick up quite fast starting tomorrow."

"Sir…?" Luffy muttered, confused.

His expression softened as he placed his drink down. "You don't really believe that I brought a little thief into _my_ home solely on the basis that I felt bad about the other ultimatum, which was sending you into the arms of the local authority, do you?" He chuckled again, louder this time, and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. "No," he informed her, "I have other plans for you, little thief. _Such big plans_."

Luffy's heart pounded when she felt something—_**someone**_—grab her knee. Her lips parted slightly, hot breath breaking free and cries of protest caught in her throat.

As his hand slipped up her skirt, he slowly said, "I will destroy you and everything precious in your life if you ever do runaway." His hand stopped just at the edge of her stocking, pointer finger stretching out to trace said edge, occasionally dipping into the area of soft flesh. Shivers erupted up and down her spine, legs closing tight on instinct, but that hand of his kept its place. Her wide eyes found his and he smiled softly. "You're mine now and I expect you to serve upon _all_ my commands."

His fingers began to dig down, nails pushing hard against her flesh. It wasn't until she felt his hand climb higher that she pushed her hands down upon her skirt—upon his hand—stopping it from its attack. Even though she still did not speak, the fear on her face was clear enough.

Leaning in slightly, he said, "I was wondering when you would react."

Luffy threw her gaze down upon her lap, taking in as her hand held his in place, preventing it from going higher any further. With a pounding heart, she could feel her cheeks grow hot, blood rush down _there_. Her mind went blank.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She didn't answer.

"Hmm?"

Her stare slid up his frame, passing that deep scar of his, and landing straight into those eyes. She could feel his thumb begin to move again, prompting her to finally answer.

"Yes," she whispered, afraid.

"Yes, _what?_" He stressed, digging his nails back into her thigh.

"_Sir_," she muttered. "Please, stop, _sir_," she said again, slightly louder.

Finally, after it seemed things were going to head for the worse, he pulled his hand out and away from her shaky form. His hand then found its way to her cheek, cupping it gently before he patted it down twice, slightly rougher. "We're going to have a lot of fun from now on," he informed her before pushing himself up. "Now clean this mess up." He sent her one last smirk before grabbing the wine bottle, turning, and abandoning her alone in the dining hall.

With wide eyes, Luffy finally let out a breath of air.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Luffy helps her master dress for the day and he reveals to her just a tad bit of his intentions for her.

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**BatmanSwim2016 &amp; RavenRunning &amp; cneriza &amp; Guest:** Thank you so much for the compliments! You all are making me blush. (o/3/o)

**IMadeThisUp:** Ohmygosh, I'm so happy you think that because Crocodile is my ultimate fav in OP and I just want to do his character justice and not mess this up. Thank you for the wonderful compliments!


	4. In One Week's Time

**To Serve at his Command**| In One Week's Time

Luffy awoke before dawn, arms stretched out to each side of her face. Sweat clung to her skin, muscles aching beyond belief. Biting down on her lip, her brows furrowed as she tried to move; her body was broken and memories from the day before flooded her mind.

A whine escaped her lips. _Doing chores is so hard!_ Frowning, she forced herself up in the sitting position, crossing her legs and bringing her palm up to wipe away the sleep. She yawned and pushed her arms upwards, popping the joints in her shoulders and smiling at the slight relief given for doing such. Fluttering her eyes shut, she sat listening for the soft sounds of bird chips radiating from the outside world.

Besides the sore muscles, waking up at that moment was rather nice.

That was until his words came back to haunt her.

"_You're mine…"_ he had told her the night before, looking at her with a hunger that made her fearful. _"…we're going to have a lot of fun…"_ Luffy frowned as her gaze found its way to her lap and a soft heat began to form in her cheeks once more.

_Nobody has ever…_Her hands shot up to cover her face, embarrassment causing her breathing to become uneven. _Why would he do such an indecent act? And why say those things…?_ Her fingers dipped into the bang portion of her hair, scratching at her scalp as she desperately tried to piece everything together.

Even though she had little interaction with the opposite gender in _that _way, she knew what happened the night prior was beyond improper. Yes, she was no lady and she definitely didn't come from any prestigious family, but for somebody to be _that_ bold and do such things left Luffy completely taken aback.

Rubbing her eyes, she shook her head side to side gently. _He was drinking…perhaps he was just drunk?_ Pulling her hands away and resting them upon her knees, she glanced towards the door, sighing. _Hopefully, that was just a onetime occurrence._ Her gaze fell down to the floor, eyes narrowing. _I hope it was…_

A soft tap filled the room, drawing her stare back to the door. Tilting her head, she blinked when another soft tap came to life. "Yes?" she asked, wondering if she should get up answer the door.

"Miss Luffy." Tsuru's voice was soft, tired even. "May I come in?"

Quickly—and regrettably once her muscles protested in pain—Luffy jumped out of the bed to head for the door. Opening it, she offered the old woman a soft smile. "Of course," she answered, stepping aside for her to enter. The head maid gave her a long once over before entering.

"You should already be dressed for the day," Tsuru commented as she glanced about the room. "The young master is expected to awake very soon, and it would not be wise for you to be dressed in your current state when he rings us in."

Sucking in a soft breath of air, Luffy glanced down at her bed gown, blushing when she realized the old woman was right. She quickly went for the chest, kneeling down to pull out her uniform. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she cocked her head back and asked, "Is the master typically aggressive?"

Tsuru's expression remained blank, hands folded across one another upon her abdomen. She remained silent for almost an entire minute before answering. "It is best that I not get involved with the young master's affairs."

Arching her brow, Luffy went to respond but Tsuru beat her to it.

"Get dressed and meet me in the entrance hallway." The old woman quickly turned and left, closing the door silently behind her.

Sighing softly, Luffy tossed her uniform upon her bed before heading towards a basin. It was filled with cold water from the night before, and hesitantly, she dipped her fingers in, wincing at the temperature. After a moment, she cupped a little bit of the water to splash upon her face, following such by using a rag to towel her face clean. She sent a quick glance over to the mirror, determined _that _was good enough, and went for her uniform.

_And so begins day two._

* * *

Her heart began its frantic beat as she followed Tsuru up the stairs, calves sore as she took each step. And since she was carrying a platter of black coffee and biscuits, she forced herself to straighten up her walk, ignoring the pain shooting up her legs. _I really hope my body gets used to doing these chores, or else I'll never survive here._

Upon reaching the upper floor, Luffy paused to take in the beautiful scenery. Plush Persian styled carpet beneath her feet, dark plum walls, and gorgeous ceiling decorations: everything made her eyes glimmer.

"Miss Luffy," Tsuru called out, snapping Luffy out of her dream-state. "Please hurry along. The young master specifically requested you for this morning. We mustn't keep him waiting."

They continued down the Eastern hallway, not stopping until they reached the very end. A pair of dark oak doors stood before them, dimly lit lights hanging on the wall to each side. Luffy watched as Tsuru tapped the door before addressing their presence.

"May we come in, young master?" Tsuru asked then.

While she couldn't make out his words, Luffy heard his dull voice, and soon Tsuru was opening the door. Holding her breath, she followed after, blinking at how dark it was inside. The air was much cooler than that of her room and a heavy smell of cigar crawled up her nostrils.

Crocodile sat upon the edge of his bed, dressed in stripped pajamas and a brownish-red robe. His dark hair was unkempt, a few locks hanging loosely across his face. He stuck out his hand after rubbing his tired face once. "Coffee," he dully ordered, to which—after a stern look from Tsuru—Luffy quickly went to him to hand it off. He brought the cup to his lips without offering her one look and she watched as he took a quick sniff before drinking.

"You may leave, Tsuru," Crocodile said after huffing. "She can handle the rest."

Luffy cocked her stare back, sending a fearful look, but the woman was already out the door, as if she knew beforehand of his intentions. Alone with him in that cold dark room, Luffy slowly returned her gaze back down to him, meeting the pair of eyes that seemed to always send shivers down her back.

Taking another sip of the coffee, he watched her silently, not offering her one address or order. She couldn't help but furrow her brows as she casted her gaze down at the platter, feeling much better as long as she avoided his stare.

Placing the cup down, he reached out for the platter and glanced over the biscuits. She dared to look his way, watching a quick look of disapproval cross his face. Picking up a piece of the breakfast, he brought it to his lips, ate it, and shrugged before meeting her curious gaze. "I ordered fruit this morning," he explained before arising and causing her to take a wide step back.

"Put the platter down," he ordered her as he went towards the opposite end of the bedroom, towards an adjacent room. When he opened the door, she could see fine suits and even finer looking clothing inside.

Placing the platter down upon his bedside table, she brought her hands together over her chest while glancing back at him in his closet, watching as he slowly picked out an outfit.

"Is it hot out today?" he questioned dully.

"Yes, sir," she answered. "I believe so."

He tossed the shirt that he was holding back into the closet before pulling out another which seemed to be made out of thinner material. Turning around, he went to her side of the room, dumping the garments down before her on the bed. She side-glanced it briefly and returned her stare back up to him. A long moment silently passed by.

Smirking, Crocodile ran his hand through his hair, slicking back a few of the loose strands. "This is the part where you help me dress," he informed her with a simple wave of his stump.

Widening her stare, Luffy mouthed a quick "oh" and turned to reach for the clothing. _He must have trouble dressing because of his missing hand,_ she thought as she reached her hands out towards the clothing, only to stop when he cleared his throat.

"Little thief," he called out, snapping her attention back over to him. She watched as he picked at a piece of his robe. "This first."

"Oh, yes," she murmured softly, turning to face him, hands stopping midway as she blushed at the thought of _where_ exactly she would start. Her cheeks grew even hotter at the thought of how much she must have looked a fool before him. _He has a genuine problem when it comes to dressing,_ she reminded herself, _and if Tsuru can easily do it, then why can't I?_ Biting down on her bottom lip, she slowly took to the robe's sash, fingers grazing against the soft fabric gently. Luffy made sure to keep her gaze down from fear of meeting his.

Undoing the sash was the easy part, with the robe falling loosely open. _So far, so good,_ she told herself as she swallowed hard. Her eyes slowly traveled up his frame, meeting his scar and she brought her hands up to his broad shoulders—having to stand on her tip-toes in order to reach such a height. Slipping her hands under his robe, she ran them along his shoulders before pulling the fabric up and off of him.

Luffy placed the robe gently upon the bed and as she turned back, she caught a smirk playing with his lips.

"You're beat red," he told her coolly. "But," he added with a smile, "you have so much left to take care of."

Flexing her fingers, she touched the top button of his pajama top, undoing it. The second button, then the third, and as she got to the fourth, she could see more and more of his pale flesh peak out. His chest felt hard—muscular—against her forearms as she moved down the trail of buttons and she couldn't help but mentally notice how relaxed his posture was, while hers…while hers was a complete and utter shaky mess.

By the time she reached the last set of buttons, she was on her knees, making sure to keep back as _far_ as possible without looking awkward. She _was_ facing a rather delicate area and she had to constantly fight off the urge to look away due to her embarrassment. Upon undoing the very last button, she watched as he shrugged the shirt off of him, it falling down freely to the floor.

"You're slow," he murmured to her as he took one of her hands, bringing it to the edge of his bottoms, just against his lower abdomen. "Even I'm faster at this and I only have _one_ hand." Releasing her hand, he chuckled lightly. "Hurry up now—I don't have all day."

She couldn't help but widen her stare from how bold he was, and more importantly, how he didn't seem to care that she was currently touching his lower stomach like that. Finding the drawstring to his pants, she pulled it undone before glancing up at him, searching his face to see if he _really_ wanted her to do this.

Her body went stiff when she felt his hand pinch her chin, craning her neck back so they could meet each other's stares. His thumb traced the area just below her bottom lip and Luffy kept her eyes wide open and dead-set within his own.

Tilting his head ever-so-slightly, he smiled before stating, "Now I'm positive you've never been with a man."

Luffy couldn't help but fall back on her bottom between her folded-in legs, face so hot that she was sure she was on fire. A wide arrange of comebacks floated around in a frantic circle inside her mind, screaming at her to speak out. But her chest was tightening up and she could fell that damn heart of hers pounding erratically.

His bottoms pooled around his ankles—with her gaze glued down at his feet—and he pushed past her towards the bed. She could hear the sound of him picking up one of the garments, fiddling around with it, and from the corner of her eye, she could see him trying to step into it. Cocking her head back, she watched as he managed to get both feet into the pants legs—with difficulty due to only having one hand—and then pull it up to his hips.

Glancing up, she met a dull look. "You can just sit there and watch me try to button this up for what will probably take a good three minutes, or you can do your job." While his voice hinted at no pleas for help, Luffy couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt built up in her.

Once again she took to kneeling before him, hands working on the buttons and zipper of his fine suit pants. The material felt crisp against her fingertips and she had to make sure not to accidently brush up against _certain_ areas that highlighted his crotch, causing her to furrow her brows and pout. _I can't believe I'm doing __**this.**_ But then again, watching him struggle to put on his own clothes proved almost as bad.

When she finished looping around his leather belt, she quickly got up to both feet, reaching out for his undershirt and shirt. That came much easier to put on—no help from the steady smirk he kept glue on his face—and once finished, she took a step back and folded her hands together over her bust.

"Is that all, sir?" she asked faintly.

Shrugging, Crocodile went over to a standing mirror, picking up a black tie along the way. Wrapping it under the collar of his shirt, he cocked a look back to her and gestured for her to approach. "Almost," he said, nodding down to the tie. "Just need the finishing touches."

When Luffy approached him, she took to standing on her tippy-toes once more, hands slowly taking both ends of the tie, looping them around and forming them until they morphed into their proper form. Once finished, she sent a look up to him, hands still upon his tie and her mind went blank.

She knew she had to back away, but her legs did not move.

The pupils in his eyes dilated briefly as his hand found its way upon her neck, warm fingers cupping her jawline. She was pushed up against the mirror gently and for a moment, Luffy's heart stopped. His mouth nuzzled its way against the side of her head, hot breath trickling down her neck.

"You shouldn't look at your master with such eyes," Crocodile muttered against her ear.

On instinct, her hands took ahold of his shirt, crunching the fabric up between her fists. She tried to push him away, but she was weak and he was in control and she was scared but—

But at the same time she was flustered and hot and wide awake that early morning.

Brushing his thumb across her lip, he pressed it barely inside her mouth when she parted her lips slightly. She could fill his digit pull her lower lip down slightly, pressing against her bottom row of front teeth. "Somebody that I absolutely _loathe_ is visiting the mansion in one week's time," he whispered into her ear. "I can't afford any mistakes; everything has to be perfect. _You_ must be the perfect little maid." He pulled his mouth away from her ear and cocked his head to the side so he could search her eyes. "I have plans for you that night." His voice was low, driving her to flutter her eyes shut. "If you fail me in any way during his visit, I will _not_ go easy on you."

Even though she desperately wanted to deny knowing what he meant, his words were clear as day. After opening her eyes, she sent him a hard stare before grabbing his wrist with her hand. "I won't let whatever plans you have for me happen." She tried her hardest to sound as intimidating as possible, but in the end, her words came out weak—almost a dying whisper.

Crocodile smiled softly. "You will, though," he informed her in a matter-of-fact tone. "By next week, you'll crawl to my room, wanting…_needing_—"

Luffy let out a whine when he started to dig his nails into her flesh again, cutting him off. In retaliation, she squeezed her hand, digging her own nails into his skin and causing him to cast his gaze down at the weak attack.

"Are you fighting back?" he asked, amused.

Pressing harder, she smiled briefly when she saw a tinge of pain cross his eyes.

Luffy gasped out when she found herself pushed on the floor, his looming figure standing tall before her. Supporting herself on her elbow, she sat herself up to a slanted position before flicking a fearful look up to him.

"I like that look in your eyes," he said as he knelt down to her position, two feet in front of her. Resting his forearms upon his knees, he smirked and added, "It's a mixture of anger and fear—it suits that pretty little face of yours." A coy look played with his eyes as he gave her a quick glance over. "You don't believe me now, but you will come _willingly _to my bed by next week."

When she went to protest, he cut her off with a dismissing wave.

"If you _don't_," he said slowly, "then I'll forget all about the robbery. You may leave the mansion and we'll never interact with each other again. You have my word."

Flexing her fist, she brought it gently against the base of her neck, glancing away. _If he truly means what he says, I can go home next week. There…there is no way that I would…_Looking back to him, she nodded once. "Alright."

Arising, he turned to face the mirror, giving a quick fix to his hair by slicking it back. Nodding, he glanced down at her and dully said, "Get up and tidy up my room; I have paperwork and meetings to attend to." And with that, he turned and left her alone.

Once his door came to a complete shut, she allowed a shaky breath of air to escape her lips. Everything seemed to be spinning at that moment and she felt a headache approaching. Frowning, she glanced back at the pile of his pajamas, knowing that she get straight to it. Instead, she brought her fingers to her chin, rubbing away the nudge of pain left because of him. _Stay strong for a week,_ she ordered herself sternly. _Do that and this will all be over._

Getting up, she quickly went to collect his clothes, folding them up and then heading for his bed. As she ran her hands up the blankets to tidy it up, she noticed the warmth still within. _Everything here is so extravagant, and for what? That cruel man?_ Swallowing, she thought of his plans—blushing instantly as she took her hands back. _If he thinks he'll get me in this bed willingly, he has another thing coming._

Grabbing the platter, she gave a quick once over of the room to make sure everything was in proper order before heading out the door. The walk down the hallway was quick one, no matter how sore her legs were. All Luffy wanted to do was get through the day—more so, get through the week. She had a new surge of motivation now.

As she came down the stairs, feet meeting the final step, she caught a glimpse of Tsuru standing off to the right. Slowing down, she hardened her stare, a feeling of anger boiling down inside. _Why do I feel like that woman is in on his sick games?_ When the old woman glanced her way, they shared a long—awkward—look.

"Miss Luffy," she began when Luffy went to push past her. When she paused to listen to whatever Tsuru had to say, she caught a look of fear in those brown eyes.

"_Yes_, ma'am?" Luffy asked, voice annoyed.

Tsuru took a moment to glance her over before softly saying, "I will not act like I don't know what is going on—I've been with the young master for almost forty years now; I know his tendencies…"

Narrowing her stare, Luffy turned to fully face her, clearly interested in what the woman was revealing.

"The young master," she muttered softly, glancing away, "he is a determined man, and if he wants something, he won't stop until getting it." Her gaze returned to Luffy's. "I will only give fair warning that you tread carefully, but I cannot aid you in…in whatever games the young master is playing with you."

"Ma'am…" Luffy mumbled, voice much softer. The look of despair that crawled across Tsuru's face made her feel sad, almost as if there was some hidden tragedy behind those deep brown eyes.

"Please forgive me if I become distant—I must think of _my_ wellbeing when it comes to the young master." Tsuru sighed then before turning to walk up the stairs. "Hurry along now, Miss Luffy."

* * *

By the time mid-afternoon had rolled around, Luffy had managed to stay a safe distance away from her employer, but of course it being time for lunch, she had to meet him once again. Sanji—in a cheerful mood—greeted her with a wide smile when entering the kitchen to retrieve the food and instantly started to attack her with a variety of questions, all revolving around the previous night.

"He _never_ lets any of us sit at the table," Sanji had told her before abandoning whatever bowl of food he was preparing. "What did he say to you?" His gaze was wide—excited almost.

Tapping her chin lightly, Luffy shrugged. "Nothing much," she lied, feeling too embarrassed to share what actually occurred. _I wouldn't be able to look Sanji in the eye if I told him what Crocodile did…_"He just wanted to see how I was fairing, since it was my first day and all."

Cocking a brow, a quick look of curiosity passed across his face. "Was that it?" he questioned, voice hinting at his disbelief. When she nodded, he frowned slightly. "That's strange of him to do," he commented before returning back to the food. "But don't get me wrong—I believe you; I just find him doing that to be rather odd."

Taking a step over to the island counters, Luffy slightly frowned and asked, "How come?"

Throwing a glance back, Sanji let out a soft breath of air before answering. "Well—and this is coming from _my_ perspective, remind you—in my years working for him, Crocodile has rarely ever shown an ounce of interest in us servants." He paused then, clearly trying to think of what to say next. "Of course, he'll throw out these odd ball questions every once and a while, but to go out of his way to sit a servant down _and_ question them about how they're doing?" His stare widened a bit. "That's just unheard of when it comes to the master."

Luffy found herself staring at the food, mind taking in what Sanji was saying but having a bit of trouble processing it.

"Oi, oi," he quickly said with a weak smile. "But—again—that may just be from my personal experience. I have no idea of his interactions with the rest of the servants—he may be a chatty fellow with them for all I know."

"Hmm…" She shook her head before plopping it down to rest of her palm. While she didn't want to directly come out and tell him all the intense interactions she had with Crocodile, she did feel a need to confide in a him a little bit. "He does seem rather forward at times," she mumbled weakly, wincing when she caught the chef shoot her a strange look. "Not to insinuate anything," she quickly added with a forced laugh.

"What do you mean by _forward_?" he asked, causing her to regret even mentioning anything in the first place. "Has the master…done anything…?"

"No, no," she answered while shaking her hands. "That's not the case at all. He's just, uh," struggling to find the correct word and she ended up going with the wrong choice. "Friendly."

"Friendly?" Sanji mouthed, hard stare morphing into a sly one. A smirk came then. "You're a cute girl, you know," he explained, "and if I were him, I suppose I would be friendlier towards somebody like you. I thought for a second that he was doing something more serious than that—but don't think about stuff like that. I don't want to worry a pretty girl like you." He sent her a wide grin before turning back to the food. "You had me worried," he added happily.

Dulling her stare, Luffy frowned. _He thinks the master is just kinder to me than the rest…I wish it was just that._ "Yes…" she mumbled as he went on to explain the dining situation.

"The master already came in and took some food," Sanji explained before turning back to face her, a plate of food in hand. "This here is for us servants—but I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Can you take this out to the hunting grounds?" he asked, glancing out the kitchen window. "The groundskeeper there has a lot of work to do to prepare for the guests next week, and he doesn't have the time to come all the way to the mansion to eat. Can you deliver this to him—maybe even eat with him? He's a shy one…so maybe you befriending him might be a good thing."

"Oh, of course," Luffy agreed, smiling when he placed the food into a basket, along with eating utensils. Handing it off to her, he nodded over to a pitcher.

"I made some sweet tea as well," he said, handing that to her free hand. "Like I said, he's a bit shy, so it might be weird at first—but I'm sure he'll eventually warm up to you."

Cocking a brow, she nodded. "Is he that man that came into the shack yesterday? With the long blonde hair."

"Yeah," Sanji answered. "That's Hawkins."

* * *

When Luffy finally found herself upon the edge of the hunting grounds, she was completely out of breath, hot, and very sticky. The sun was up high and beaded down hard. When she eventually found shade, she let out a sigh of relief.

_It's going to be a hot summer,_ she thought while glancing around. _Now where is that guy…?_

"You brought the food." His voice caused her to nearly jump up in fright and almost drop the pitcher of tea. Turning around, she caught him standing a few feet away, sleeves rolled up high and hair pinned back in a loose ponytail. When he approached her, she quickly handed him the basket.

"Yes," she answered, "there's food in there for you…and me." When his dull gaze looked up her way, she weakly smiled and added, "Sanji thought it would be nice if you ate with somebody today…"

"…" Hawkins returned his attention to the basket, pulling back the lid to peek inside. "Sandwiches…"

Arching her brows, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No." Pausing, he went to look at the pitcher in her hands. "Tea?"

Looking down at the liquid, she nodded. "Oh, yes, it is sweet tea. There should be a glass in the basket for you, if you want some."

Keeping a blank expression, Hawkins turned and headed off into the hunter grounds and Luffy watched his back with confusion for only a mere second before quickly following after. Upon reaching his side—making sure to match his pace—she sent him a smile. "I'm Luffy," she told him.

He didn't answer, nor did he look her way.

"I was hired yesterday," she added as they approached a smoothed out path of dirt.

"I know," he said then before coming to a complete stop. "You don't need to join me."

Luffy shook her head. "No, that's alright. I want to."

For a moment, it appeared as if annoyance—perhaps even fear—crawled across his face but it quickly returned back to a blank stare. Hawkins started walking again.

"So you're the groundskeeper, right?" she asked, hoping to break the tension. "I saw you yesterday in Usopp's shack, talking about flamingos."

"Yes," he simply answered, turning down right when they came to a fork in the road.

"So you work with animals for the master…" Pausing, she slightly frowned.

"To hunt," he finished for her. "But there are other creatures that I tend to on these lands that the master is fond of."

Luffy glanced up at him with wide eyes. "Like what?"

Hawkins didn't answer.

Biting down on her lip, she thought she had him for a moment, getting him to converse with her with more than just simple yes and no answers. Frowning, she continued to follow him until they reached a miniature house—nothing in comparison to Crocodile's mansion. _But it's cute, in a way._

"Is this the guest house?" she questioned upon approaching the door.

"Yes," Hawkins answered before opening the door. "The master allows me to sleep here when there are no guests, since it is close to the hunting grounds." He paused before entering. "You don't need to eat here, with me," he repeated as he entered a room off to the left.

"I already said I want to," she huffed back, watching as he placed the basket down upon a table. They were in what appeared to be a dining room—much cozier than and not as intimidating as that of Crocodile's. "Here," she offered as she placed the tea beside the basket. "Let's eat."

They initially ate in silence, with her occasionally sneaking a glance at him and him keeping his dull stare down on his food. Her mind came to a blank when it came to icebreakers and she thought about how he was feeling, wondering if he was uncomfortable with her being there. Nibbling down on her sandwich, she glanced out the window, watching the limbs of a willow tree dance in the summer breeze.

"I hope you don't find this strange," Hawkins suddenly started, placing his sandwich down gently, "but I foresaw your arrival last week."

Lowering her brows, she sent him a confused look. "What…?"

"I," he answered before pausing, as if he were unsure how to phrase his next set of words. "I can read the cards—"

"Cards?" she muttered, more confused than ever. "What do you mean?"

A frown tugged at the corner of his lips but he kept his composure the same: blank. Glancing out at the willow tree, he explained, "Think of them as a way to predict the future."

"Oh," Luffy mouthed, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She wasn't one to be a big believer in spiritual stuff, but fear kept her mouth shut on making any rude comments.

"And I saw that the household would increase by one," he said, eyes slowly traveling over to meet hers. "Once this prediction came true yesterday, I…I went to read yours, personally."

Luffy felt her heartbeat pick up, her fingers digging into her sandwich. When she went to respond, he beat her to it.

"I know this must sound rather strange—maybe even frightening to you—and I wouldn't blame you." Pausing, he picked at his food before taking a bite, swallowing, and continuing. "Many do not think much of the cards, and I'm alright with that. But…when I looked into your future, I saw a grim fate."

The food fell from Luffy's hands. "What are you saying…?" The muscles in her legs began to ache as she got ready to bolt for the door, fearing what this man was going to do. She didn't know him and while he seemed quiet and reframed, that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. _And he just said something about me meeting a grim fate?!_

"I mean you no harm," Hawkins quickly added, probably noticing the fear written all over her face. "I only mean to warn you, in case the cards are right…"

Pressing back against her seat, she asked, "What is my grim fate then?"

Hawkins frowned. "I wasn't allowed to see that much…but I saw that you will be given two choices very soon that will alter your life entirely."

_Two choices…?_

"I do not know what exactly these choices are or when exactly they will occur; all I was allowed to see is that one choice will lead you down a road of nostalgia and the other down a road of struggles and knowledge gained."

Luffy had enough. Pushing herself up from her seat, she quickly gave him a small bow before packing her food up. "I…I need to get back," she muttered, still afraid.

Hawkins remained silent.

Once she finished cleaning up her portion of the lunch, she quickly went for the door and left without bidding him a farewell. Out the door she went and down the dirt paths. _That was terrible! Who says things like? Grim fate…two roads? What a weirdo!_

When she approached the fork, she came to a halt, blinking as she tried to remember the correct path. It took her a moment, but she decided to go down the one heading left and soon enough, she found herself in unfamiliar—yet very beautiful—territory.

Tightening her hold on the basket, she frowned as she glanced back and forth. _Should I try heading back to the fork? But…but which way was that again?_ She felt her stomach drop. _Who knows how many acres this plot of land is? I might get lost for days!_

Sighing, she continued down the way she originally chose, taking in the lovely trees and flowers to each side of her. While yes, she was lost, she didn't mind the relaxing walk, listening to soft chirps and cries of nearby birds. Luffy soon found herself lost in thought, not really paying attention to anything particular. It wasn't until she heard loud clicks underfoot that she came too, blinking as she took in the wooden bridge before her.

And upon the highest curve of the bridge she saw him, leaning over the railing and glancing down at whatever lurked in the lazy creak under the bridge. She watched as he glanced down at a bowl sitting on the railing, picking inside until he pulled out a chunk of red meat. He quickly tossed it over and the sound of teeth snapping filled her ears.

While her mind sternly ordered her to turn around and go the opposite way, Luffy couldn't help but long to see what was under the bridge. Slowly, she approached his side, not daring to look up at him, and peered over. Her stare widened and she let out a small gasp. "Are those…?"

"Crocodiles?" he asked. "Yes, they are." His voice wasn't as hard as before and he sounded—oddly—relaxed. He flicked another piece of meat down there and she watched—with excitement—as the overgrown lizards fought over it, snapping and growling at each other until a victor was chosen. "They're amazing creatures," he told her and she could feel his eyes upon her.

Swallowing, she glanced up to meet his stare, taking in all his relaxed features and soft smirk. In a strange way, he looked different under the shade like that amongst the small forest. And for a moment, she didn't feel that afraid of him.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" he questioned her then after leaving her gaze to look down back at the crocodiles. His fingers dipped into the bowl to retrieve another piece of meat for them, smiling when he released it, prompting the animals to rush after it.

Frowning, she weakly mumbled out, "I got lost, sir."

"That doesn't exactly answer what you were doing out here in the hunting grounds," he retorted calmly.

"Oh, yes, sir," she answered, casting her gaze back down at the crocodiles. Her fingers began to dig into the basket. "The chef asked if I could deliver lunch to the groundskeeper, and as I was coming back to the mansion, I must have taken a wrong path."

Crocodile nodded. "It seems as such," he commented, eyes slowly glazing over to the basket. "Is there food in there?"

She nodded. "I…the chef packed me lunch as well, and I haven't really had a chance to finish it." Her fingers flexed when he took the basket from her, pulling the lid back to look inside.

"Sandwiches…?" he said dully, more to himself than to her. "It seems one of them is half-eaten." He sent her a coy look before pulling away from the railing and walking off. She watched as he reached the end of the bridge, heading off towards one of the taller trees nearby. Once there, he took a seat against the trunk and gestured for her to approach.

When she came before him, she hesitantly glanced around before sitting down, smoothing out her skirt and tucking her legs in under her bottom. Crocodile took out one of the sandwiches and had a bite. "I haven't eaten since this morning," he informed her.

She nodded.

He gestured to the basket. "Are you not going to finish?"

Blinking, she glanced down at the food and mouthed a quick "o" before reaching out for her half-eaten sandwich. They sat in silence then as they ate their lunch.

Occasionally, she would glance his way, taking in his at ease posture and relaxed facial expression. He didn't at all look the intimidating man he was before and Luffy wondered if he actually was the same man at that moment. It was almost—in an odd sense—a nice moment.

"Push your bangs back," he ordered her suddenly but softly.

She casted him a confused look, lowering her sandwich away from her mouth.

His eyes searched her face. "Your bangs are hiding those round eyes of yours; push it back."

Chewing on her inner cheek, she hesitantly brought one of her hands up towards her forehand, slowly pushing her bangs off to the side. Once finished, she looked his way, taking in the satisfied look on his face.

"Much better," he commented before finishing his lunch. Rubbing his hand against a napkin from within the basket, he tossed it aside and gestured for her to come to him with his hand. "I need to show you something," he explained when she cocked a brow.

Frowning slightly, Luffy quickly placed her items aside and got up. She took a few steps and glanced around him to see whatever he was talking about. "What is it—"

His hand took her wrist and pulled her down against him. Soon enough, she was laid on the grass with him leaning over her, resting himself on the elbow of the arm that had the missing hand. His other hand kept tight around her wrist, pinning it to the ground.

With wide eyes, she searched his, feeling her pulse pounding throughout her body. Her fingers curled in, lightly touching the back of his hand. _What is he going to do,_ shefrantically thought, fearing the worse.

"When you imagine your lover," he whispered softly, "do you think him of gentle nature?" She felt his knee between her own, pushing its way up slowly. "Or," he spoke harsher, "do you desire something a little _rougher_?" She winched when his knee forced her legs slightly apart, her skirt rising higher.

When Luffy went to turn her head to avoid his probing stare, he released her wrist to grab her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

Crocodile laughed lightly. "You turn red too easily, little thief," he told her as he ran that thumb across her lower lip. "Almost as red as those lips," he added, voice softer. His gaze narrowed, his head lowering down to her ear. "If I were a cruel man, I would take you right now."

Luffy whimpered from the pressure of his body against her own.

"But I can be a patient man, and I'll wait for next week—"

"That's not happening," Luffy breathed out, frowning as she tried to push her legs back together. "Not in a million—" Her words were cut short once his lips found hers, rough and hard and in charge. Her body went weak and her mind melted into nothing, allowing him to take control of the entire situation.

After what seemed to be hours, he pulled his head back, biting down on her lower lip along the way. He smirked at her flustered state, eyes searching her entire face.

All she wanted to do was hide herself, feeling betrayed by all the heat traveling up to her cheeks. Her heart was kicking and her brows furrowed.

"If a simple kiss will do this much to you," he commented as he ran his hand through her hair, "imagine what other pleasures I can bring you." He smiled softly, hand returning back to her jawline so he could tilt her head to the side. Lowering himself back to his ear, he whispered, "This is only the beginning."

Crocodile pushed himself up and she watched with blurred vision as he brushed his pants clean. "Clean this up so we can head back to the mansion," he ordered, running his hand through his own hair to straight it out. "And fix your skirts; you look indecent."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N:** hurhurhur this chapter was fun to write. **I've also added Trafalgar as one of the main characters since I have created big plans for him in the story. :3**

* * *

**Coming up Soon: **Crocodile slowly becomes more and more forward and the servants start prepping for their special guest. Whoever could this special guest be?! The smut train express is soon to come into station.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**BatmanSwim2016:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you think it's getting intense; that's my goal, haha. And yes, of course Usopp will tell her his great "Captain Usopp" tales! How could he not? Lol

**Rodessalorenzo:** Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're liking it enough to come back for more!


	5. Mayor

**To Serve at His Command|** Mayor

With the sun slowly starting to make it's decent, Luffy stood out in front of the mansion, down the smooth-stone path with hands folded together over her abdomen. She watched as shiny brass gates parted ways, allowing the sleek black automobile to pull in.

_That must be him,_ she thought. About two hours after returning from the hunting grounds, her employer had ordered her to wait outside for one of his guests. "_Bring him straight to my office,_" Crocodile had told her while smoking on a cigar, eyes dull as he peered out of his huge office window.

And now, with the car pulling up the drive, Luffy forced a thin smile upon her face, making sure to remember all the proper greetings. Taking a step forward, she watched as the driver—she later learned from Sanji to be named Daz—get out from the driver's seat. He quickly opened the passenger's back door and held it for whomever was inside.

The man was dressed in fine attire—almost as fine as Crocodile's, but not as quite. He had short blue hair, darker than Buggy's, and a little curl that dangled across his forehead. With a quick stretch of his arms, the man said something to Daz, but Luffy couldn't hear due to her being farther away. Oddly, whatever he had said made the driver laugh briefly before closing the door.

With a wave of his hand to Daz, the man began walking up the path of stones, stopping when he landed his stare upon Luffy. Quickly, she smiled, bowing slightly and stating, "Welcome, sir." When she heard him laugh, she glanced up to meet his gleeful stare.

"You're new, aren't you?" he asked her while scratching his chin. "You must be—I don't recall ever seeing you before." He smiled. "Didn't know that old croc was hiring…how'd you get the job, huh?"

Frowning slightly, she cocked her head and blinked. "Oh, well," she mumbled, unsure of how to properly answer that question. "The master was kind enough to offer it to me, sir," she answered softly, even if it wasn't _exactly_ true.

The man shrugged before moving past her, to which she quickly turned to follow after. "He never sends anybody out to greet me," the man explained while opening the door, causing her to wince. She knew it was her job to open the door for him and she felt embarrassed when he held it open for her. "Guess that old man is getting fancy." He laughed at that, shaking his head and rubbing his nose.

Luffy cocked a brow, confused at how easily amused he could become.

"Oh my," he said then, more serious as he glanced down at her. "I haven't introduced myself, have I?" When she shook her head _no_, he informed her of his name. "Iceberg."

Luffy's eyes widened, mouth slightly falling ajar. Even though she spent a mere handful of months living in that city, she knew full well of who the mayor was. _Iceberg…what is he doing here visiting Crocodile?_

Iceberg shot her a sly smirk. "Look at you, all surprised. Not every day you get to meet the mayor, huh?" He placed his hand atop her crown and ruffled up her hair—almost as a father would do to his own children: a loving gesture. With a quick wink, he turned to continue down the main hallway, clearly familiar with the layout.

"Sir," Luffy quickly called out softy as she rushed after him, making sure to fix her hair. "Is there anything you would like to drink? Or perhaps eat?"

Iceberg nodded. "Brandy would be nice. How about you go get some? I know my way to his office." He sent her a thin smile and she nodded.

"Alright, sir," she said then, heading down the opposite direction as to where he was going. "I'll get it right away, sir!" She went straight for the kitchen, blinking when she ran face-first into Sanji's chest. Wincing, she felt his hands grab her shoulders to steady her.

"Oi," he said, laughing. "Watch out, or else you'll trip and hurt yourself."

Shaking her head clear, Luffy glanced up into his eyes and nodded with a smile. "I need—"

"Brandy?" he said, cutting her off while waving a bottle already in his hands.

Widening her stare, she said, "How did you know?"

Handing it off to her, he smirked. "This isn't the _first_ time the mayor has visited Crocodile's estate." Pausing, he glanced past her shoulder. "Better hurry up; boss might get mad if you keep somebody as important as the mayor waiting for a drink."

Gripping her fingers tighter around the glass, Luffy nodded before adding a quick "thanks." She twirled around and headed straight back down the hallway, towards Crocodile's office. The liquor inside swooshed with every step she took and she made sure to calm her pace as not to upset the drink too much. Once she reached the double doors, she knocked lightly, and before she even had the chance to request coming inside, the doors were pushed open.

Iceberg sent her a quick smirk before pulling her inside. "Is that the brandy?" he asked, gently grabbing the hand that held the bottle, bringing it up to his eye level. He quickly glanced over its label, smiling softly before releasing her hand and shooting Crocodile a coy look. "You always manage to get the real good stuff; how is that?"

"It's imported," Crocodile simply answer from his desk, cigar hanging loosely from his lips. "Pour him his drink," he ordered in a harsh voice to Luffy, causing her to snap out of her stance.

She quickly retrieved a small glass from a cupboard above the fireplace and poured the brown liquid inside, offering it to Iceberg after. He was sitting in the chair across from Crocodile's desk, legs crossed and smirk glued on. "Thanks, darling," he said after taking the glass, sniffing the drink first before slowly bringing it to his lips. "This is real good stuff, Croc," he said, sending Crocodile a quick glance.

Pressing the lid back to the bottle, she caught Crocodile sending her a dull glance. "Would you like some, sir?" she asked weakly, still a bit flustered over their interaction just a mere two hours prior.

"No," he answered. "But don't leave: go wait in the back corner in case he wants more." He turned his attention back to the mayor before pulling his cigar away from his lips to tap it a few times in an ashtray. "You took your time getting here," he dully stated.

Iceberg shrugged. "I _do_ have an entire city to run and all, you know?" He took another sip of his drink before adding, "And it _isn't_ exactly easy to clear up my schedule to come visit you." A silence passed by and Iceberg broke it with a light chuckle. "Now, are we going to discuss your little guest next week?"

Crocodile pushed himself back into his chair, kicking his legs up and resting his feet upon the edge of his desk. Bringing his cigar back to his mouth, he took in a _deep _breath, a heavy frown forming. "He wants to form a partnership with me."

"Is that so?" Iceberg calmly asked, a smile playing around with the corner of his mouth. "Strange, isn't it? At least considering what happened the last time he came to town." His expression hardened. "That _**won't**_ happen again."

Crocodile casted his gaze upwards, towards the ceiling.

"I mean it, Croc," Iceberg stressed, snapping his fingers to catch Crocodile's attention. "Cleaning up after you guys isn't some fucking joke." He pushed forward in his chair, tapping one long finger upon Crocodile's desk. "It's not like I sit in my office all day hoping for you to draw up some bullshit like this for me to take care of, you hear me?"

Crocodile's dull stare flicked over to Iceberg's finger before returning back to the man's face, annoyance clearly written in those hard eyes. "You don't have to worry," Crocodile stated firmly. "If he's dumb enough to start anything while here, I'll have my men around to take care of it."

Iceberg huffed. "That's just _great_! Have another blow out in _my_ city; that surely won't leave any higher ups breathing down my damn neck." He took a gulp of his drink, wincing at the strong taste. Uncrossing his legs, he cocked a glanced back at Luffy, causing her to tense up before looking back at Crocodile. "I can't risk innocents like her getting hurt if you two have a spiff."

"Don't. Worry." Crocodile shook his head slightly. "I'll keep him under control, besides, I don't think he's here to pick another fight. He generally sounded concerned when he phoned me the other day."

"Any ideas as to what's so important for him to talk to you in person?"

Crocodile shrugged. "Who knows what really goes on up in his head. But," he added slowly, breathing out another puff of smoke, "I _do_ believe it has to do with a certain old man." His eyes slowly traveled over to Luffy, narrowing before returning back to Iceberg. "You should know who."

Iceberg nodded, the two of them sharing an understanding glance. "That would seem most likely," he commented, finishing the last swig of brandy. He cocked his head back towards Luffy and waved the empty glass. "Another round, sweet cheeks."

Blinking, she quickly approached him, undoing the lid and pouring fresh brandy into his glass. Once finished, he offered her a sweet look before turning his attention back to Crocodile. "I want you to phone me the _**moment**_ you find out what that buzzard wants, alright?"

Crocodile nodded.

"Don't keep me out of the loop, alright?" Iceberg stressed after relaxing his posture against the back of his chair. "I want in on whatever he's cooking up, especially if it involves that pain of an ass old man, you hear me?"

Crocodile nodded once more. "I'll ring you the first chance I get," he offered, pulling his cigar away from his mouth. "Now," he added slowly, eyes hardening, "any news on when the shipment will arrive."

Iceberg shrugged. "Last time I checked, it was heading here via boat—not exactly sure where, but I know it's heading here. Should arrive before the end of the month." He paused to take a sip of his drink, fingers tapping lightly against his armrest. "We're still good on me getting twenty percent, right?"

"Of course."

"Good," Iceberg responded happily, placing his drink down upon the desk. He arose and flattened down his tie. "It's been real nice chatting with you, Croc, but I got to run a city and everything."

Crocodile dismissed him with a wave of his hand, causing the mayor to laugh. "Real charmer you are," he joked before turning to face Luffy. "Oh my, it was a pleasure meeting you, young lady. Don't let this old man scare you—but if he does, just know you can always come work in my office. You're real good at keeping my drink filled, you know?" He sent Luffy a soft smile before opening the door to leave.

"Stay," Crocodile dully ordered when she went to follow him out. "He knows his way out."

Iceberg—who was holding the door open for her—sent her a coy look before shrugging and allowing the door to fully shut behind him. Biting down on her lip, Luffy sent her master a quick glance, fingers gripping the brandy bottle tightly against her stomach.

"Sit," he ordered, gesturing to the chair that the mayor had once occupied. When she did as such, he abandoned his cigar to the ash tray, running his hand over his face to rub the bridge of his nose. Closing his eyes, he smirked before stating, "That was the mayor, if you couldn't tell."

"Yes, sir," Luffy answered, casting her gaze down upon her lap. The soft tapping of his fingers against his table filled her ears, causing her to stiffen in her seat.

"Do you know what I do for a living?" he asked her then coolly, fingers halting. Luffy glanced up to his stare and tilted her head slightly, catching that narrow stare of his.

She wasn't exactly sure, but she did know it was shady. Her lips remained shut in a thin line, refusing to give answer.

He shrugged, reaching out for his cigar. "I'm sure you have at least an _idea_," he said, breathing out a thick layer of smoke in her direction, causing her to flare her nostrils from the strong smell. "I'm sure you're not that _innocent_ from what lurks out there in the world, especially considering you're a thief."

When she went to protest, he silenced her with a wave of his stump. "I have another job for you besides just being my maid—" Pausing, a sly look crossed over his gaze, accompanied by a smirk. "As well as _other_ duties I expect from you in the near future."

Luffy couldn't help but become flustered at the thought—more from the tone of his voice when he said such things. She pressed the bottle deeper against her gut, frowning as thoughts of his advances came pouring into her mind.

Leaning his arm over the back of his chair, he turned his gaze towards the window behind him. "I need you to be my ears when I'm not around."

"Sir?" Luffy asked, confused as to what he meant.

Without looking her way, he explained, "You are a maid in this mansion, are you not?"

With hesitance, she slowly answered, "Yes, sir."

"And being as such requires you to serve to the needs of the master as well as his guests," he continued, bringing the cigar to his lips. "A maid can be thought as a part of the mansion, a shadow upon the wall almost. And not much is expected from a maid other than her duties to the mansion—so," he paused, throwing a glace her way, "if a guest were to visit, they shouldn't think much of a maid lingering in the background."

Frowning, Luffy glanced down to figure out what he was trying to explain to her. "Are you suggestion you want me to listen in on conversations, sir?" she finally asked, unsure if she was going in the right direction.

A thin smile played with the corner of his lips. "That's exactly it, little thief." He pointed his index finger in her direction. "When my guests arrive next week, I want you to cater to them—be friendly, offer them drinks and treats. Remember to flash a smile and flutter those little eyes of yours. Befriend them if you can—perhaps even get them drunk." He smirked at that. "If you aren't deemed a threat, then perhaps they may slip and say something amongst your presence."

Shifting in his chair, he pulled his legs down from the table to turn her way. His gaze met hers face-on. "Whisper sweet nothings if you must," he stated. "Perhaps a few soft touches—"

"Are you suggesting that I…?" Luffy found herself muttering weakly, eyes growing wider.

"_**No**_." His voice was harsh, as if angered. "Innocent flirting is one thing, but anything else is strictly forbidden." She watched as his fingers flexed tightly around his cigar. "And if it ever gets to that point, I want you to halt doing this job for me. I _won't_ have any other man…" Trailing off, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "All I require for you to do in regards to these particular guests is to keep your ears open and eyes sharp."

Breathing softly, she nodded, implying that she understood what he was asking of her. While yes, she was still startled from his actions in the previous twenty-four hours, and yes, she wasn't exactly trusting of him, she knew that doing at least this for him would keep her in his good graces. _And perhaps if I __**do**__ happen to learn something, I can use that as leverage over him…_Glancing back up, she nodded once more. "Yes, sir."

It occurred to her that he had asked a rather important favor, and while some may argue that it was her job to do as such by being his maid, she figured that he was in her debt—or at least, a little bit. Licking her bottom lip, she spoke. "If I may ask…I would like to go into the city, sir."

Tilting his head, Crocodile searched her face. "What for?"

Pausing, she crossed her feet, pushing them back under her seat. Her heart picked up from sheer nerves, mind wondering how he would react. "I…would like to visit my previous employer, only to show that I am safe and doing well…sir." Luffy watched a mixture of emotions pass through his eyes, first surprise followed by anger then with distrust and finally with nothing, a blank emotionless stare.

His jaw clenched before he answered. "This is a rather…_interesting _request, little thief," he said as he slowly leaned back in chair, crossing his forearms above his head. "And you expect me to have faith you'll come running back to me afterwards, hmm?"

She nodded. "I will, sir. I swear—"

"A thief's promise isn't very trustworthy," he commented, amusement forming upon his facial expression. Pausing, he glanced down to a phone upon his desk before slowly returning his stare back to her. "Alright."

Luffy held her breath, her gaze widening ever-so-slightly. "Really…? Sir?"

"Of course," he answered with a thin smile. "I am a kind man."

She found herself grinning. "Oh, thank—"

He silenced her. "But you must first accompany me on a few errands before I allow you to scurry back to that rat's nest." He offered her another thin smile and she couldn't help but feel as if there was some secret meaning behind his statement. "Just a few stops, really, and I'll have Daz drive you over there himself."

Biting down on her lower lip, she figured that was a good enough trade. _Follow him around for a little bit in order to visit Shanks and the rest?_ It actually wasn't that bad of a trade and she was surprised that was all he wanted. "Nothing else, sir?" she murmured softly.

"Nothing else," he repeated gently before adding, "unless you're willing to offer."

Luffy felt her cheeks warm up, her gaze falling down on her lap and away from his. _Must he say such things?_

"We'll leave just after daybreak tomorrow," Crocodile started, pushing himself up from his seat. "After you help me dress and I break my fast, we'll leave. I expect you to awake earlier than usual, to prepare." He left his cigar in the ashtray before approaching the window, his back to her. "You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Out to the city to run a few errands, including an awkward moment at the tailors. Luffy gets to visit Shanks and Buggy and receives a letter from her brother.

* * *

**A/N:** Shorter chapter…and a little bit of a downgrade from the previous "intense" chapters, haha. But I really needed to set up this plot development to add some depth to this story. Next chapter won't be that intense either, but the one after that: Smut train express will arrive in station, I can promise that.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cnerriza:** Haha, yes, he is becoming bolder towards her, and he shall continue to grow in his boldness in future chapters *evil laughter* Thanks for reviewing!

**RavenRunning:** Thank you so much! I'm so happy you like how I'm writing Crocobae. I have plans to include as many characters as I can. Thanks for reviewing!

**BatmanSwim2016: **Yup, Law's going to be in this story, and he's going to have a rather big role in Luffy's life, hurhurhur. I will try to incorporate his crew whenever I get the chance. Thanks for reviewing!

**IMadeThisUp:** Oh my goodness, your review made me blush, haha. To be honest, I was a little, uh, into writing Crocodile in that manner, since he's just umfph. And I'm glad you like the character's I've written in so far! I try to write in as many as possible! Thank you so much for supporting this story and reviewing!

**Rodessalorenzo:** Oh my, thank you so much for the kind words. I'm super self-conscious about my writing, and to see that you think this really boosts my confidence in writing. Thank you, again, and thank you for reviewing!

**Guest:** Yes, Luffy's situation is going to get very intense as the chapters continue on, and not just from Crocodile. Thanks for the compliment and review!


	6. Tailor

**To Serve at his Command|** Tailor

One hour before sunrise and Luffy found herself already awake and dressed, waiting patiently outside Crocodile's bedroom doors. Tsuru had not accompanied her that morning as she did the day before, and while she found it odd at first, she figured it must be because of Crocodile's orders. Sucking in a deep breath, she made sure to calm her nerves before bringing her hand up against the door, tapping it softly.

_Here we go again…_

"Sir," she had called out quietly, "are you awake?"

"Enter." His tone surprised her at first, sounding awake and afresh—not sleepy and cranky.

Pushing the door open, she glanced inside timidly, blinking when she caught him standing before his full length mirror, most of his attire already on. Closing the door, she took two steps towards him, folding her hands together before her chest and tilting her head. "Sir?" she whispered, confused as to how he was already dressed.

_Did Tsuru already help him?_

When he turned a tad to face her way, she quickly noticed his first hand working on the upmost button of his shirt. "We have a long day," he explained dully as he finished buttoning, "and while I'd love to see you blush beat red, I don't have the time to wait around for you to dress me." Leaving the mirror, he approached his bed, picking up a dark brown vest. "But you can aid me with this, if you so desire." He threw a thin smirk her way.

Luffy quickly approached him, fingers quickly working the vest clippings together across his chest and abdomen. While she was relieved she didn't have to go through the full dressing process again that morning, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit bad, imagining how difficult it must had been to dress himself with just one hand. _I would have troubles dressing myself if I only had one hand…_Her gaze found its way to the stump, taking in the roundness and the ugly scars that accompanied it.

_He has many scars_, she figured then, eyes then meeting the long one across his face. _I wonder how he received them._

His voice broke through her thoughts. "You're staring."

Blinking, she pushed her gaze higher to meet his hard stare, frowning when she realized that she was indeed staring. "Oh," she murmured softly, pulling away when she was finished with his vest, "I didn't mean to…sir." She had no idea what else to say.

Instead of sending her a threatening comeback, he oddly brought his fingertips to the edge of the scar, slowly tracing down the trail. His eyes grew blank, even though it appeared as if he were looking at her. His fingers stopped once meeting the bridge of his nose before pulling away and a soft breath of air escaped past his lips. "Go set breakfast and then we'll leave," he said then, pushing past her and towards the door. "We have a lot to do today."

* * *

"He's taking you out to the city?" Sanji asked as she took the platter of scrambled eggs out of the kitchen. She could hear his footsteps fall behind her as he followed her down the hallway towards the dining room. "_Really?_" His tone sounded a tad bit harsher than usual—to no extreme, but Luffy couldn't help but wonder why all the interest.

"He just wants me to aid him a bit," she explained, placing the plate down upon the dining table, arranging it before nodding and turning around. She frowned when she found Sanji there in her way, leading her to scoot him over so she could continue back down the hallway. "He _also_ said I can go visit some friends of mine if I did as such."

A heavy huff formed behind her, causing her to send a smirk back to him, watching as his brow lowered. "I _hardly _ever get to go out," he explained, "and he's letting you out just like that? I want to go to the city," his gaze narrowed, his nostrils flaring slightly, "and find all the pretty girls waiting out there for me."

Rolling her eyes, she entered the kitchen, grabbing the plate of sausage links, glistening and steaming—they practically made her mouth water. Biting down on her lower lip, she quickly scooped one of the smaller ones up and slipped it into her mouth, eyes growing wide at the explosion of flavor happing at that moment.

"I saw that," Sanji said, taking the plate away from her and turning back to reenter the hallway. "You think you can convince him to let me out with you guys, huh? You seem to have a buddy-buddy relationship with him—which," he added slowly, "still blows my mind to even think of."

"It's not like that," Luffy responded as she followed after him with a bowl of oatmeal and a tray of biscuits. She struggled then with a way to exactly explain how she got about getting to go into the city, fearing what conclusions the chef might jump to. "He just needs help out in the city, that's all."

Placing his plate down, Sanji threw her a dull stare before shrugging. "Alright, alright," he said, wiping his hands down his apron. "But," he added, throwing one arm over her shoulders and almost causing her to lose balance, "you _got_ to promise that we head out to the city together one day, huh?" He smiled as his fingers tapped gently across his shoulder.

Shrugging him off her, Luffy shook her head slowly. "Maybe, one day, if we ever do get that chance." She proceeded to set the rest of the table, making sure to set everything perfect to proper standards. Tsuru had shown her as such the day before—a lesson that took Luffy longer to grasp than originally expected, but she got it down eventually.

When she headed back into the kitchen, she found Sanji working on a batch of fresh oranges, squeezing them into a thick orange liquid. "By the way," he said then, eyes still focused on the task before him, "I never asked how your lunch with Hawkins went."

Luffy found herself grimacing, remembering the strange things that man had told her. "It was…" she murmured, unsure of how to describe her experience. "Strange."

Sanji's expression went flat. "Did he read you the cards?" he asked dully, and when she nodded, he did a quick eye roll. "I told that idiot not to do that." His eyes widened as the excitement in his stance grew. "I even stressed not to do that in regards to you, saying that _that_ would scare any normal person off."

"He does that often then?" she asked before resting her hands upon the counter, eyes slowly glazing over to a plate of crisp ham slices.

"Yeah," the chef answered, not bothering to pay any attention to Luffy's lingering hand as it crawled slowly across the counter.

"And he really believes in that sort of stuff? Those…those card things?" Her fingers found the smooth edge of the plate before slowly dipping in towards the prize. Luffy casted a quick glance his way and she felt a wicked grin form across her face. _He won't notice this gone, will he?_

Shrugging, Sanji went to throw away the left over pieces of orange. "Hawkins has a strong faith in such things," he explained, "but he comes across awkward—I mean, he's a nice guy, and I get why somebody like you would be frightened off, but don't—" His words stopped suddenly when he faced her way, expression dulling.

Luffy fiddled her now greasy fingers together, not bothering to even look his way.

"Where is the ham?" he asked as he took a hold of the now empty plate. "I had an entire platter of ham slices—where did they go?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered back, shrugging innocently. And then it happened and no matter how hard she tried to fight it back down, a soft burp forced its way through her lips, causing her eyes to widen and body to tense up.

"Did…did you eat _all_ of it?" he practically gasped, almost as if amazed. "I only had my eyes off of it for a second—how did…?" Sanji's eyes met hers, wild and confused. "How did a cute little thing like you manage…? _All of it?_"

"I couldn't help it," she admitted weakly before quickly grabbing the pitcher of orange juice and scurrying off. "You shouldn't cook such good food," she called back as her excuse. The sound of Sanji muttering something reached her ears but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. All she really could focus on was how she would manage to slip in a few more nibbles of those sausages—_or maybe some scrambled eggs? Maybe Crocodile won't notice it if I only take a small bite…_

She stopped upon reentering the dining hall, watching as Crocodile took to his seat at the head of the table. All hope of stealing a few bites left her, body going weak as she placed the orange juice before his main plate. "A drink, sir?" she offered.

He nodded.

And she poured the orange liquid into his glass, watching as he took it once she finished. He took a rather large gulp and went straight for the eggs and biscuits, ignoring the beautiful links of sausages.

_A shame,_ she thought, eyes lingering over the lonely pieces of meat. _They need somebody to tend to them…to nibble on them a little…_Luffy frowned, knowing she had to fight back her urges when in the presence of Crocodile.

Another entered the dining hall then, carrying their own plate. She watched as Daz took to the other side of the table after piling most of the sausage upon it. "The car is ready when you are, sir," he spoke then, tone hard yet respectful at the same time. He took to eating his breakfast then.

Crocodile nodded. "I assume the page is already waiting outside, with the packages all set?" He brought a bite of the eggs to his mouth, a thin smile of approval forming afterwards.

"Yes, sir," Daz answered. Pausing, he ate another link. "I also made arrangements with your tailor, upon your order."

"Good," Crocodile responded before raising his now empty glass. "You should offer to refill my glass before I even get the chance to finish it," he duly informed Luffy before throwing a narrow look back her way.

Blinking twice, she quickly went to the table, grabbing the pitcher and filling his empty glass. "I'm sorry," she offered and her body went stiff when he threw her a hard gaze. "_Sir,_" she added, pulling away from the table and back to her corner of the room.

"I've also phoned in the others to remind them of this upcoming Tuesday evening." Daz stopped then, glancing down at his plate before slowly adding, "Mr. Three stated he will be arriving _late_."

Crocodile let out a dull breath of air, clearly annoyed. "Did he give good reason as to such?" he questioned then before leaning back in his seat. "Surely, he _must_ have, no?"

Daz slowly flicked a quick glance past Crocodile, eyes landing on Luffy before he snapped them back to their employer. "He stated he had personal issues to tend to first."

"Personal issues?" Crocodile repeated, tone almost amused. His fingers tapped slightly upon his armrest. "I find it strange that he wasn't forthcoming."

"Indeed," Daz agreed.

"Well," he said then, voice much chipper, "I suppose I will have to have a chat with him the next time I see him." Arising from his seat, he turned to Luffy. "Go fetch my coat—the dark green one, and be quick about it."

Bowing slightly, she quickly left the dining hall, heading straight for the stairwell to the second floor. _He seemed rather upset at first about the three guy—what a strange name. Mr. Three? I wonder if that's his real name._ Luffy smiled at the thought as she went up the stairs, turning down the hallway towards Crocodile's room. _I wonder what Crocodile will do to him…?_ She frowned then as she reached his bedroom door, stopping as she felt a sudden urge of pity for this mysterious Mr. Three. _I wonder what Crocodile is capable of doing?_

Gently, she pushed the door open and entered the dark room once more that morning. She glanced about, searching for a coat hanger—or perhaps even a stand-alone wardrobe, and blinked when she found the closet. _Oh, it's probably in there…_

Pulling the door to said closet open, she gazed at the impressively sized room before her, rows upon rows of fine suits and clothing inside. Shiny shoes layered the floor beneath the clothing and racks of scarves and ties hung above. The coats were in the far back, growing in thickness the farther in.

Pushing inside, she gently ran her fingers down the trail of suits as she went by, smiling at how _nice_ it felt. _Being rich must be nice, _she thought as she reached the back of the closet room, eyes searching the coats. Once finding the green one Crocodile specifically asked for, she took it off its hanger, frowning at how it came falling down over her. _It's too big!_ It took her a long moment to straighten it out, and as soon as she did as such, she flung it over her shoulder, letting out a soft breath of air.

_That should be it!_ Smiling, she went to turn around, but paused when she caught a glimpse of a rather strange protruding piece of wood behind one of the coats. Hesitantly, she pulled the coat back a bit, watching as more and more of this strange object came into view. _A hidden cabinet?_

Glancing back towards the closet door, she thought about the risks of snooping around. _He's down in the dining hall…maybe I can sneak a quick peak of what's inside?_ Curiosity won her over and she greedily took the knob of the cabinet, pulling it open slowly. What lay inside caused her eyes to widen, mouth to drop ajar.

Hooks, ranging from many different sizes and materials hung inside, gleaming from the little light sneaking in through the closet door. Luffy swallowed, unsure of why exactly he would have something as such hidden here. Knowing she shut the door and hurry back down, she couldn't help but reach her fingers out to touch one of the hooks—a larger one that appeared to be made out of gold. It was icy to the touch, causing her to pull her fingers back.

_Why does he have these…?_

Shaking the thoughts away, she slammed the cabinet door shut and scurried out of the closet, holding the coat tightly against her. Luffy didn't want to bother to think too much on the issue, figuring it would just fare better for her if she ignored it all entirely.

By the time she got to the bottom of the staircase, she found Daz waiting down the hall—near the wide double entrance of the mansion. His narrow gaze locked in with hers and he opened the door. "Boss is already outside," he told her then. "Make sure the coat doesn't drag on the ground," he added when she reached the door, to which she quickly tugged more of the large article over her shoulder.

The air outside was nippy, biting at her nose and cheeks, but from far out, she could see the sun beginning to make its ascent up to the sky. _It'll get hot soon._ Sniffing, she continued down the pathway, stopping just a few feet before the car and Crocodile, who was leaning against said car and ordering what appeared to be a young boy.

"Put them in the back," the older man said dully before adding in a harsher tone, "and be careful."

"Yes, sir," the boy cheerfully called back, standing on his tip-toes to push a bundle of parcels into the back trunk. "Anything else?" he asked, peeking his head over the edge of the car to look back at Crocodile.

"No," he answered, annoyed. "Finally," he then said when he caught Luffy looking his way. He took the coat from her and placed it over his shoulders before opening the car door and getting inside.

When Luffy looked to him to see where she should sit, Daz closed the door between them, causing her to jump back. "Over here," a small voice called out from behind the car. "Servants sit back here," it said again. Cocking a brow, she went to the back, blinking when caught sight of that boy once more, sitting down in one of three seats.

"We sit back here," he told her again, patting down the empty space beside him. He had a soft smile and wide innocent eyes, making her feel instantly comfortable around the child. When she took her seat, he folded his hands over his lap, kicking his feet back and forth as the engine started. "I'm Coby," he told her.

"Luffy," she answered back, eyes searching his small frame. He was rather young for a servant, perhaps between the ages of nine to twelve. Her body stiffened when the car drove forward but quickly relaxed. "What type of work do you do for the master?"

When the brass gates opened, Coby cocked his head before happily stating, "I'm a page. The master hired me to deliver packages and letters and sometimes he'll send me into town to pick up some cigars and liquor." He spoke with a soft and girlish voice, and his expression remained cheerful. "You're a maid, right?"

Luffy nodded.

Coby smiled softly, casting his gaze down over the side of the car. "I saw you the other day, mopping the floor, but I was too afraid to say hello." A soft pink formed in his cheeks—almost the same color as his hair.

Luffy smiled at that, shaking her head before glancing back at the mansion, watching as its once massive size slowly shrunk in the distance. They were heading for the city, and if she held out long enough, she was going to see them—Shanks, Buggy, and the rest of the gang—again, if only for a mere moment.

* * *

The car came to a halt along a somewhat busy street, people quickly rushing back and forth to get to wherever they needed to be. Hopping off the back of the car, Luffy glanced around, smiling at familiar buildings. _We're in the main trading district…_

"Boy," Crocodile addressed as he got out, "go deliver the parcels and meet Daz back here once finished."

Coby brought his hand to the tip of his forehead, smiling brightly up at him. "Aye, aye sir!" he said then, and Luffy couldn't help but notice a strange look of annoyance and perhaps even slight embarrassment pass across Crocodile's face.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a bill. "Here," he said then, handing it off to Coby, "make sure to also pick me up more cigars—I'm running low."

Coby nodded before slipping the bill into his pocket. "Will do, sir," he said as he went to the back of the car to pick up the packages. He offered Luffy one soft glance—followed by a blush—and scurried off down the street.

Daz smirked. "You should send him to bring back a whor—" pausing, he shared a coy look with Luffy before saying, "a woman of _special _talents."

Crocodile laughed lightly at the comment, adding, "It would be quite the sight to see him attempting to hire one." His stare lingered over to Luffy and she quickly casted hers aside, fighting back the urge look back up at him. "Let's go," he ordered then, voice betraying any hint of amusement it once had.

Like the good little maid he expected of her, Luffy made sure to keep three feet behind him, walking at a slower pace as not to surpass him. Her eyes would linger off left and right, taking in each and every alleyway that she used to travel down just a mere few days ago. _If I go down the one on the right, followed by a sharp left turn, I can easily make my way to Buggy's…_

"We're going to pay a visit to the harbor manager first," Crocodile stated out loud as he turned down a road. "After that, we'll visit the tailors, and then…" pausing, he threw a dull glance back her way, "…and then I suppose you must visit the thieves den, no?"

"Ah, yes, sir," Luffy answered softly, folding her hands together upon her abdomen and slowing down her pace when she began to get too close to him.

Soon enough, they arrived to the first destination: a rather large building with piles upon piles of wood and scrape metal scattered about behind it. The air smelt heavy of saw dust and Luffy occasionally had to wipe her face. Stepping inside through doors already propped open, she blinked upon seeing a familiar face leaning against the front counter, expression annoyed.

And the annoyance grew deeper when he casted his gaze back at the two, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "_Sonofabitch_," Iceberg said then, crossing his arms as he fully faced Crocodile's direction. "What are you doing here? I had enough of you for one week."

Crocodile only pushed past the man, approaching the counter and pressing his hand atop it. "I'm here to check in on the shipment."

Iceberg laughed. "What? You don't trust my report from yesterday?"

"I just wanted to make sure myself," Crocodile retorted with a slight shrug. "It would be considered bad business if I didn't do some personal investigating, wouldn't you agree?"

Iceberg shook his head before turning his attention to Luffy, expression softening. "Oh my," he said, "I would ask for a drink but I suppose you aren't carrying any brandy on you."

Luffy shook her head _no_ while adding a quick apology for such.

The mayor smirked before elbowing Crocodile. "Can I borrow your maid, hmm? Her manners are spot on and I find it simply dreadful she must work such a cranky old man."

"You're only a few years younger than me," Crocodile dully stated before turning his attention to an older man who took to the counter. "You," he said then, voice harsher, "what's the status of my…_shipment_."

The old man tapped his cane, white hairy brows lowering over his deep-blue eyes. "I'll tell what I told this here mayor: Ain't coming in anytime soon. Storm's blowing something fierce at the moment, delaying _all _orders."

Iceberg ran his hands through his hair, nails digging into his scalp as he released a loud huff. "This isn't getting anywhere, Croc," he moaned, clearly frustrated. "This is what we get for buying from Australia—whose idea was it to try new things, hmm? Was that you?"

"Quiet," Crocodile order the mayor before cocking a hard gaze towards the old harbor manager. "How long?"

The man shrugged.

Crocodile's hand shot out to grab the collar his shirt, forcing the old man up a few inches off the ground, cane dropping loudly upon the floor. "How long?" he repeated himself.

"Two…maybe even three weeks," the old man whimpered out, wincing when he was released. He had to clutch desperately to the counter to keep himself balance. "Sir, the boat is coming in as fast as it can and it isn't _our_ fault a storm decided to brew—such things are unforeseeable…"

"Yes, yes," Iceberg loudly groaned then, "we know all about that damn storm you keep babbling about. That doesn't matter."

"What matters is that we have a very important shipment out there," Crocodile continued. "And if anything—any _**single**_ ounce—is lost along the way here, I'll hold you to blame."

The old man's mouth fell open, fear working its way through his sea of wrinkles. "B-but _sir_," he tried to protest, eyes flicking back and forth between the two men.

"Enough," Crocodile ordered with a dismissing wave of his hand. "I've had enough of your crap. Three weeks: That's all you got, and if I don't receive word before then, I will pay you another visit, but don't expect it to be as friendly as this one." With that, he turned towards the door, gesturing for Luffy to follow him out.

While walking down the steps of the building, she watched as Iceberg moved past her to walk beside Crocodile. "You do have a way with words, Croc," he said while stretching his arms upwards to crack his fingers.

A low annoyed groan came from Crocodile. "Don't you have a city to run?"

Iceberg shrugged. "Sure, but…" He stopped then, kneeling down and causing Luffy to cock a brow in confusion. "Oh my," he muttered sweetly, hands picking up something small and _furry._

Crocodile sent the man a look of disgust. "You're trash," he simply said before turning to leave Iceberg to his new little pet. Before following after him, Luffy glanced at the mouse sitting upon Iceberg's palms and she couldn't help but smile.

Placing it in his front suit pocket, he gave a quick wave towards her and turned to walk down the opposite direction.

"Little thief," Crocodile called back, snapping her attention his way. When he lowered his thin brows, she knew he meant for her to continue following him.

* * *

Upon entering the tailor's shop, Luffy was instantly attacked with a deep scent of vanilla and what seemed to be cherries. "Oh!" a voice called out then, a figure emerging from the depths of the shop. "Is that _Croco-boy_?"

"Dile," Crocodile corrected as he took to a seat near the window, eyes glazing over the wide arrange of flashy clothing set up on display.

The owner of the shop came out into full display, eyes wide and face layered with heavy makeup. Luffy took a step back to fully take in the sight of this _interesting _fellow, with his bright red—and _tight_—strange outfit and puffy hair.

"Ivankov," Crocodile stated as his arms crossed.

The man gave him a wink before turning his attention towards Luffy, a wide smirk crawling across his face. "This," he began, voice giddy, "this is the girl?"

Arching a brow, she threw her employer a confused look, to which he quickly stated, "To tailor your uniform." A frown played with her lips briefly before she nodded.

An awkward laugh forced its way through Ivankov's purple coated lips, almost as if he had just heard a rather funny joke. "Yes," he said between snorts and giggles, "tailor the uniform—tuck it in, was it?"

Luffy caught Crocodile sending an angry glare Ivankov's way. "_Yes_," he repeated, pushing back against his seat. "And I'll buy whatever you have for me today."

Sniffing, the tailor nodded once before turning around towards the counter, picking up a stack of rather large boxes. "Go through these—pick out what you like, and I'll take care of this one."

Gasping, Luffy was tugged forward when Ivankov took ahold of her wrist, grip strong. He pulled her towards what appeared to be a dressing room, with a wooden platform before three full-length mirrors. "Get up," the man order as he pushed her towards the platform.

She did as such and watched silently as he took out a mess of pins, needles, and measuring tapes. "Says your uniform is loose?" he asked then, flicking one quick glance up Luffy's way.

"Somewhat," she answered, pinching at a piece of the fabric. Her gaze lowered. "But…but I didn't realize he was going to pay to have it fitted properly."

Ivankov snorted again from another fit of laughter. "Oh," he said between heavy breaths, "yes, fitting. That was it. Now, here." He took to pinching at the fabric, frowning as his fingers weaved in and out through its layers. "We don't need this right now."

Luffy went wide eyed as he started to undo the top layer of buttons across her bust. "What are you doing?" she gasped, hands shooting up to cover herself, even though she did have a slip beneath her uniform.

Ivankov did a quick roll of the eyes. "I need to measure you, and sweetheart, you ain't got anything _I'm_ interested in." He proceeded to slap her hands away in order to continue stripping off the uniform. Once finished, he tossed it aside, tutting and shaking his head at the sight of her. "There isn't much to work with here," he said, more to himself. Shrugging, he attacked her with the measuring tape, pressing it against every part of her body imaginable.

"All this trouble just to tuck in a few loose pieces?" Luffy muttered as Ivankov worked his way up her legs, writing down lengths and widths.

He snorted once more, a tear forming in his eye. "Sure," he answered, pushing her around so he could get a good look at her waist.

Frowning, she gave up trying to question him on what he was doing, figuring he knew what was best since he _was_ the tailor. Her gaze traveled over his purple hair and landed upon a small pile of strange garments, and after looking at it for a few minutes, she realized it was lingerie. She turned red when she looked down at the man. _He…he designs naughty lingerie?_ Luffy had heard tales of such tailors, but she never imagined it to be true.

"You're too shy," Ivankov commented as he pulled away from her, throwing the measuring tape around his neck like a scarf. "Some _men_ prefer a woman who is bold—not too much, but enough to state that she's not afraid."

"…" Luffy didn't respond.

"And you cast your gaze aside too much," he said then, placing a hand under his chin as his eyes glanced her over. "You act like some fragile flower—_don't_."

"I don't understand…"

Ivankov shrugged with a smile. "Just friendly advice…" His gaze pushed past her towards her uniform lying upon the floor. "I suppose I should do something about that now, hmm?" He quickly went to it with pen, needle, and fabric and after a few minutes, offered it back to Luffy. "All better."

"R-really?" she asked as she slipped it back on and much to her surprised, it fit perfectly. "You're amazing," she gushed with wide eyes, very much impressed by the tailor's talents.

"I know, I know," the tailor agreed with a wave of his hand. "Now, Croco-boy is probably waiting out there." He pushed himself past the dressing curtains and Luffy could hear him inform Crocodile, "All done over here!"

"These will do," he responded as he pointed over to a pile of the boxes he sorted through. His gaze fell on Luffy when she entered the main portion of the shop and a quick look of satisfaction crossed his eyes. He proceeded to pull out a few bills, tossing them on the counter and adding, "This should cover this as well as _other _expenses." A look of understanding was shared between them.

"I'll have it delivered in two days," Ivankov said softly, throwing Luffy a strange glance. "Here, girl, carry these for him." He pointed down at the boxes.

Taking them into her arms, she bided the tailor a simple goodbye before following Crocodile out the door. It was rather hard for her to see due to all the boxes in her arms and she struggled to tell which way he went.

"Don't drop a single one," he ordered her then. "You are carrying expensive clothing and I will not allow your clumsiness to ruin a single one."

"I won't, sir," she huffed, waddling after him. At that moment, she wanted to question him about going to visit her old home since they seemed to have finished all the chores he originally spoke of, but carrying the boxes left her slightly out of breath. "Sir," she managed to call out and she gasped when she ran into his back, boxes pushing forward against her face.

"Be careful with them," he stressed. "And what is it?"

"O, well," she began softly, "was there anything else, sir?" When he didn't respond, she repeated, "Sir?"

"You want to go back to that place?" His voice was dull, emotionless and due to the boxes in her face, she couldn't exactly see what facial expression he was making.

With fingers digging into one of the boxes, she let out a dry huff, annoyed at how many times she had to remind him. "I just want to check in, that's all, sir." Something pressed against her stomach and as she glanced down to see what it was, the boxes were pulled up from her.

"Go then," he ordered, balancing the boxes in his arms with ease. "You have exactly thirty minutes before I expect you back at the car."

"R-really, sir?" she found herself asking, shocked.

"Time is ticking," he informed her after turning around. "Thirty minutes—_that's_ it."

Widening her gaze, she quickly ran for one of the alley ways, holding her breath and flexing her fists. If that was all the time she was going to get, she was going to make damn sure to use it wisely.

* * *

"_L-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-LUFFY?!_" Buggy's eyes were wide, mouth gaping open. His hands took to her shoulders, fingers digging in. "Where have you've _been_?"

"Uh," she began, trying to figure out the best way to word her current situation. "I got hired as a maid."

"HIRED?" Buggy gasped, eyes narrowing. "You ran away to seek another job?!" His voice was high-pitched, angry but confused as well as curious. "Without a single word?"

"It's complicated," she explained as she shrugged his grip off of her. "But I'm here to say I'm alright, and this job should only be temporary." Glancing around the small shack, she asked, "Where's Shanks?"

Buggy pushed past her, hands running through his blue locks. "And here I was thinking you were dead," he groaned out. "Or worse: taken in by the jailors!"

"Buggy!" Luffy said louder, earning his attention. "Shanks?"

Shaking his head, he pointed out the door. "Came back yesterday and left before I even had the chance to inform him of your disappearance. Dropped a letter for you and mumbled something about taking care of some serious business."

Frowning, she crossed her arms, mentally cursing herself for coming too late. _Oh well…It's better that he doesn't know, or else he might worry. And I might even return back home before he gets back from whatever job he has to take care of._ "Where's the letter you spoke of?"

Buggy went to a side drawer, pulling it open and tossing her a small envelope. "You're a maid now?" he questioned, voice doubtful. "For…for somebody _rich_?" His expression grew, eyes wide and hungry, smirk evil and plotting.

"Yeah," she mumbled, glancing the envelope over. It only had her name and Buggy's address written across its front. "Very rich," she added. "Name's Crocodile, you heard of him?"

"Rich is he?" Buggy began and then a high pitch scream that sounded like that of somebody dying escaped his lips. "CROCODILE?" He gasped, hands snatching her shoulders once more. He proceeded to shake her back and forth. "Did you just say _Crocodile_?!"

"Yeah," she weakly answered, feeling dizzy from his attack.

He shook her even faster, eyes bugging out. "You stupid, stupid, stupid girl! Do you have any _idea_ what you've gotten yourself into?" He paused then, face going paler than any clown makeup. "Does he know about _**me**_?! Did you tell him about what we do—w-w-what type of work _**I**_ do?"

"Uh…" The tone of her voice gave her away, causing Buggy to shake her even harder, tears running down his cheeks and snot pooling down his nostrils.

"I'm a dead man!" he cried out. "Nobody goes up against somebody like him and lives to tell the tale!" His expression went blank as his knees gave out, his hands traveling down her arms. Falling to the floor, his hands took to holding her wrists, eyes wide and full of horror. "Luffy," he said then, voice eerie, "you're on your own, kid. I…I can't help you out here."

"What are you taking about?" she asked, expression morphing from amused to curious. "Do you know something about him that I don't?"

Buggy shrugged, hands falling from her wrists. "I'm a shady man, you know that. But I'm flashy-shady…he's…he's just plain evil type of shady."

Confused by his statement, Luffy shrugged. _Yeah, sure, he's aggressive, and a total pervert, but is he really __**that**__ dangerous?_

"O, girl," the clown called out to her, voice stern. "I see that look in your eyes, thinking you can handle a man like that—you can't. Just, oh, I don't know what to tell you. You've gotten yourself into a ditch."

"Then I'll just climb out," Luffy responded, glancing over to a beaten up clock, frowning at how much time had been spent listening to Buggy's silly breakdown. "I don't have much time left…if you see Shanks, tell him I'm alright, yeah?"

Buggy nodded weakly before throwing his gaze back up into her eyes. "You need to put a good word out to him about me—make sure he knows I'm not competition, just a simple thief, that's all. Keep to his good side."

"Yes, yes," she huffed, heading for the door. "I'll try to visit again soon." And with that, she was out the door. She had only a handful of minutes to make it back to the car in time. _If I mess this up now, I might not be allowed out again…_

She shook her head. _What am I saying? If he keeps to his word, I should be free to leave by Tuesday night._ Smirking, she nodded in determination and began a quick run back to the main shopping district.

Once arriving—out of breath—Luffy pushed herself against the back of the car, running her hand across her sweaty forehead. Her chest heaved as she tried to suck in as much air as possible with each breath, and she found herself smiling when Coby peered at her oddly.

"You look tired," he told her, scurrying up to sit on the servant's seat, folding his legs in tightly.

"I am," she agreed, following after him. Resting her head back, she glanced up to the skies, watching thin clouds dance across the sky. Her fingers flexed upon something rough and she remembered the letter, eyes falling back down.

Opening it, she read:

_Luffy,_

_Gramps was worried, so I'm coming out to visit you. Meet me at the train station on Wednesday, twelve pm. Don't be late._

_-Ace_

_P.S. Bring food._

Luffy sighed, frustration building. _Damn it Ace, why do you do these things?_ She hadn't the faintest idea on how to deal with her pestering older brother and she knew Wednesday would come too soon for her to set up a _false _lifestyle. Dropping the letter upon her lap, she lazily glanced over, watching as a tall dark figure walked by.

He paused, cocking one dull gaze her way, lips in a thin set line. "You arrived on time," he said, almost as if surprised.

Straightening in her seat, she answered, "I said I would, sir."

Crocodile nodded. "Very well."

And with that, the trip to the city was officially over.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Crocodile takes another **bold** step in his attempts towards Luffy, causing Luffy to feel certain emotions and dare I say, lusts? Smut train rolls into station, get your boarding tickets ready.

* * *

**A/N:** I made Coby younger because I read somewhere that 1900 page servants were typically around the ages of 8-16, and I thought it would be cute to have a child-like Coby looking up to Luffy.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Don'ttellmewhatodo: **Haha, yes, you're spot on. I tried to make it pretty obvious from the get-go with the flamingos, so I'm glad you caught on. Thanks for reviewing and reading!

**Yuki Rivaille:** My Yuki! (o3o) Hello! I'm so glad you started reading this story! Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments; they make my day.

**Cnerriza:** Haha, yes, sort of. Not like super-duper spy mode, but more like: If you happen to hear anything, feel free to share. Luffy and Law will have a similar one to that of Luffy and Crocodile, but at the same time, completely opposite. I know that doesn't make sense, but hopefully as I introduce him and write out their scenes, it will. Thanks for reviewing!

**Toraffles:** Hey there you wonderful person you! Oh my goodness, I love that you love how I'm writing out Crocodile. Aw, you're review is just really pumping me up and it gives me confidence, thank you so much. :"D

**Katepatterson:** Oh my, thank you so much! Yes, Law is for sure going to join the cast, and while I have *ideas* for Zoro, I'm still working out his role. Thank you so much for your interest and review!

**IMadeThisUp:** Hurhurhur Here you go, one ticket for the smut express, just for you. *Choochoo* Thanks for the review! :3

**Guest:** That is a hard question to answer. When I write these stories, I *always* envision the ending and then write towards that. So far, I have a nice bit of plot to write out, so it won't really be a short fic, but I doubt it will reach longer lengths (say like 100 chapters.) Right now, I'd guess a max of fifty? I'm really not sure, though. Gramps isn't exactly scrawny and weak, but he isn't exactly in good health—and it all ties in with the troubles Ace is facing, which will eventually be revealed. Thanks for the review!

**Rodessalorenzo:** Haha, yes it was. I'm just super pumped about this story and I'm writing like a mad-woman. Thanks for the review!

**TakeHeart:** Thanks for the review and support! It really helps out! : D

**Son of Whitebeard:** LOL ME TOO X'D *CHOOCHOO*


	7. Lay Down on the Bed

**Warning: *ChooChoo* The smut train has officially pulled into station. When you see the "oOoOoOoOo" know that you are boarding the train and entering M rated territory. If you wish not to board said train, skip over the material until you see the second "oOoOoOoOo" which implies that the smut train has left the station and you are safe in T rated territory.**

**Quick A/N:** This chapter takes place the day *after* they went into town. So when it says it's evening time, it's not the evening of the day when they went out, but the evening of the next day.

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**To Serve at his Command|** Lay Down on the Bed

"O, Luffy, hand me the pot over there."

Glancing up from her seat, Luffy followed the direction Usopp was pointing, eyes landing upon a stack of red clay pots. "These?" she questioned after reaching for one. When he nodded, she arose and quickly handed it off to him, watching as he proceeded to pour a handful of soil into it.

"Thanks for offering to help me out this evening," the gardener said with a smile. "You have no idea how much this is going help move things along for this upcoming Tuesday." A glimmer came to life in his eyes. "At this rate, we'll be finished well before then."

"No problem," Luffy said sweetly, smiling when he planted a beautiful blood red rose. "It's so pretty," she commented, fingers reaching out to gently caress its petals.

Usopp nodded proudly. "It'll grow into a fine bush," he agreed, placing the pot down softly upon a work bench. "Crocodile wants the entire garden in full bloom, and I think such flowers will really make the grounds pop."

"Where'd you learn to take care of plants like this?" she questioned him then, flicking a wide curious gaze his way.

A smirk came to him. "During my travels around the world, I came across a master of plants who taught me everything I know."

"Travels around the world?" she muttered softly before flexing her fists in excitement. "That's amazing! You've traveled? _Where?_"

"All over," Usopp informed her proudly, jumping up in his seat to point out through the window and up towards the skies. "I've been to from Britain to Egypt, Italy to Japan; every which way, I've traveled." The excitement in his eyes grew as did his story. "I _was_ a great captain once, believe it or not!"

"Really?" Luffy practically gasped, finding herself on the edge of her seat, completely drawn into his grand story. "That's so cool! How many men did you have on board?"

"Hundreds—no, _thousands_." Usopp nodded. "Yes, thousands, and I was considered the greatest captain in all seven seas by the age of fifteen—no other could match my skill and power." He proceeded to cross his arms upon his chest, flashing a tough grin.

Clasping her hands together, she clapped quickly before pausing, lips forming a slight frown. "Then how did you come about working as a gardener for Crocodile?"

Usopp's gaze widened, face growing pale. "Oh, well…" Clearing his throat, he nodded. "That's _quite_ the story, let me tell you. It might be a little too adult for you—"

"No," she begged, interrupting him. "I can handle it, do share!" She sent him an excited smile, hungry to hear whatever grand tale he had to share. "Please share, Usopp, I'm sure it's a wonderful story."

Jumping off the seat, he turned his back to her, hands folding together under his chin. "Ah, yes…" he murmured softly, moving towards the opposite side of the garden shack. "Yes—so, as do all _grand_ stories begin, I was born, uh…born into a failing country." He turned then, slamming his fist into his palm. "That's it! And I grew up tough—tougher than any of the other kids! And in order to save said country from a tyrant—"

"A _tyrant_?" Luffy repeated, eyes growing ever wider. She could hardly believe that she knew somebody who had gone through so much.

Usopp nodded, pressing a hand atop her head and fluffing her hair slightly. "Yes," he said, voice proud and strong. "As I said, this story may get a bit intense for a young lass such as yourself." He pulled his hand away and turned, voice lowering. "So maybe it's best if I save this tale for another time, when you're _older_."

Pouting, Luffy crossed her arms. "No fair, Usopp. I want to hear the rest of your story." Before she had the chance to beg some more, the phone in his shack rang, causing her to snap her attention in that direction.

Blinking, Usopp quickly rushed over to it, picking it up gently and pressing it to the side of his face. "Yes?" he asked, pausing. A slight look of panic ran through his eyes but quickly died down. "Yes, hello, sir," he said then, fingers tightening around the phone. "Uh…" His eyes darted over to Luffy. "Yes, sir, she's in here…No, she was helping me to plant some of the garden—ah, no…mhmm, alright sir, I'll send her."

Hanging up the phone, he offered Luffy one fearful look. "Crocodile wants to speak to you," he informed her as he scratched the back of her neck. "He said you can find him in his room, but he didn't say what he needed help with." Usopp shrugged. "It's getting late, so he probably just needs help getting dressed."

"You're probably right," she agreed. "If I have enough time, I can come back to help."

Usopp shook his head. "No, that's alright. You do a lot of work as a maid, and I can't always rely on you to help me out." Pausing, he smiled lightly before picking up the rose pot. "You should get some sleep and rest on up." Handing her the pot, he nodded. "Here, keep it for your room."

"Oh," Luffy mouthed, glancing down at the rose. "Really? T-thank you, Usopp! I promise to take good care of it."

"You better," he stated. "And once it grows into a fine bush, I'll tell you the rest of my story."

With a soft smile and wide gaze, she bided him a goodnight before heading out the shack. Her fingers clutched the fragile pot before her chest, holding it close, and she could smell the rose. Its sweet scent almost matched its beauty.

Entering through the servant's backdoor, she passed through the kitchen, offering Sanji a quick smile. He was leaning against a counter, smoking.

"Turning in for the night?" he asked, pulling his cigarette away from his lips.

"Almost," she answered without stopping. Cocking a look back, she told him to have a good night, to which he nodded with a smile. Leaving the kitchen, she headed down the hallway towards the staircase leading to the lower floors. _Better drop this off before I head up to Crocodile's,_ she thought, eyes falling down upon the rose.

Once she had entered her room and placed the pot upon her small desk, she turned to face the mirror, frowning when she noticed splotches of dirt on her uniform. She quickly brushed herself off and headed for her basin, dipping her hands in and washing away any dirt under her nails. Turning around, she eyed her bed, the ache from a hard day's work in her muscles begging her to go to sleep.

_Go take care of Crocodile first, and then I can go to sleep._ Sighing, she removed herself from the comfort of her small room and headed back for the stairwell. Luffy was just about ready to end the day and was rather proud of herself for making it this late without a nap. While she knew it was frowned upon, she did slip in quick rests days before, when nobody seemed to notice her disappearance.

Walking up the stairs, she pushed her arms upward, stretching as far as possible and smiling at the soft popping of her joints. She figured it should be enough relief to keep her awake for whatever Crocodile needed of her. Making a sharp turn, she continued up the next set of stairs, up to the upper floor.

Upon reaching the hallway, she scurried down as her hand shot up to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. The world outside seemed silent—asleep perhaps, and at that moment, she couldn't help but think about the following week, when she was promised to receive a chance to go home. _For good this time._

Stopping before his bedroom doors, the smile on Luffy's face slowly died down and she took in a deep breath. Hesitantly, she brought her hand up—forming a fist—and knocked gently.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Sir?" she called out. "You called for me?" Gently, she pressed her ear against the door to listen inside when he didn't answer. "Sir…?" she said again, slightly louder.

"Enter," he answered.

Her hand went for the doorknob, twisting it and pushing the door open silently. There was not much light within, but he had his curtains drawn back and Luffy couldn't help but remain amazed at how beautiful the moonlight was as it slipped in through his bedroom window. With the door closing behind her, she took a step deeper inside, glancing about until she found him standing by the window, one arm resting himself against the wall and his other holding a glass of what appeared to be wine.

In the middle of the room stood one chair and a stool in front of it, and she eyed it curiously, knowing that it typically was not placed there.

"Look," he said without sending her a single glance.

Following his gaze, she saw that he was staring at something through the window, and as she slowly approached him, she took to looking through it as well. Before her, in the distance, was the illuminance of the city—bright and alive against the night sky.

"When I was younger, electricity like that didn't exist in the city. I remember looking through this window then, seeing nothing but pitch black…" His voice trailed off into nothing and he proceeded to take a sip of his drink.

Folding her hands together over her chest, Luffy nodded, mind lost in a daze as her eyes took in all the beauty before her. From such a height, she felt almost godly, looking down upon the rest of the world. At that moment, she envied Crocodile for having such privileges.

Finishing off his drink, he pulled away from the window, turning to his desk. While she kept her gaze glued through the window, she could hear him fiddle around with a bottle—probably wine, and the soft sound of liquid being poured filled her ears. When she turned to look his way, she watched as he held a glass up for her.

"Drink," he commanded with a calm facial expression.

Luffy swallowed and slowly took the glass from him, remembering how easily annoyed he got before when he requested that she drink. Chewing on the inside of her lip, she glanced up into his eyes before taking a sip. It was sweet and bitter at the same time.

He filled his own glass and pressed the wine bottle back down to his bedroom desk. Running his thumb across the rim of his glass, he simply ordered, "Go sit on the edge of the bed."

Cocking a brow, she watched as he took to the chair in the middle of the room, kicking up one leg on the stool before it. He brought his glass to his lips for another drink.

Frowning, she glanced past him towards the bed—that intimidating square pile of soft mattress coated in beautiful blankets and covers. Hot breath escaped past her lips and she weakly went to the bed, sitting down at the very edge.

"Scoot back a foot," he ordered before placing his glass down upon the floor and resting the side of his head against his palm. "Get comfortable," and pausing, he added, "and don't let that drink go to waste."

Casting her gaze away, she moved back onto his bed a tad bit and slowly took another sip. Once finished, she pulled the glass down upon her lap, fingers holding it steady.

They sat in silence for a minute.

Breaking the silence, he asked her, "Was it your first time?"

Luffy threw her gaze his way, taking in his soft smirk and searching stare. The moonlight danced across the top of his raven hair and his figure didn't appear very intimidating there, but his question made her heart pick up—from fear or something else, she did not know.

"Sir?" she asked, unsure of what he meant.

"When I kissed you the other day—was that your first one?" The way he asked it sent a shiver down her back and set a fiery blaze in her cheeks. He took that as her answer, a smug smile forming. "I assumed as such." He cocked a brow then. "I'm sure there are many things you've yet to experience."

Luffy gasped silently, glancing down at her drink, feeling a bubbly sensation deep inside her gut. His questions—although worded normally—seemed to always have some secret message behind them, causing her to fluster up and turn red from sheer embarrassment.

"Would you like to experience such things?"

She kept her gaze down but couldn't help from widening her stare, fingers grabbing the glass tighter.

"I can show you." His voice had a hunger to it. "I can make that kiss seem like child's play. Would you like that?"

Her breathing picked up, heart starting to pound blood down throughout her body. She could feel her pulse everywhere—places she didn't realize she could feel it. Her throat grew tight and dry, and without thinking, she took another drink—a gulp larger than normal, the stinging taste of the wine washing away the dryness.

"Do you have any burning desires?" he asked then, voice softer—almost a whisper. "I once heard a tale of a woman who desired such lewd things from her lover that her family sent her to the asylum."

Luffy finally flicked her gaze to meet his.

"I always wondered what she wanted," he told her, eyes narrowing as he looked past her. His stare found its way to Luffy's after a long second, pupils dilating. "Drink the rest of your wine and place the glass upon the floor."

Glancing down to her glass, she took in the few sips left before bringing the rim to her lips. With a numb mind, she finished it off, leaning over to place it gently upon the floor. When she returned back up, she looked his way.

Crocodile's mouth fell slightly ajar as his eyes remained concentrated, as if he were playing chess. "Spread your legs."

Her once red cheeks quickly drained into a soft pale, fingers growing stiff. Something was picking at the back of her head, making her dizzy while her stomach did somersaults.

"I gave you a command," Crocodile stated, tone harder than before.

Holding her breath, she felt as her legs betrayed her, moving apart from their once tight embrace. Even though the skirt of her uniform began to dip in between, she still felt exposed before him in such a position.

"Lay down on the bed," he ordered next as he leaned slightly in his seat, the look in his eyes growing wilder by every passing second.

Her head hit the bed, the soft embrace of the covers giving her a gentle landing. She left one hand beside the side of her face and the other upon her stomach. The ceiling was beautiful and she tried to focus on that and not his words or that _look_ in his eyes or the buzz in her head.

His next words were spoken softly, yet, demanding. "I want you to touch yourself."

Luffy's breathing—oddly—started to calm down, eyes fluttering shut as she processed his request. His words were clear and she understood what he wanted, yet, her body remained stiff. _What a strange request_, she thought, a thin smile forming only to quickly die.

She couldn't process time anymore and it felt like hours had swam by around her but it also felt as if only a mere few seconds had passed since her first entering through his door.

Soon he was on her, above her, eyes in her. The arm missing a hand rested behind her head, giving him leverage to hover over her body. The hand was on her face—her cheek—her lips, tracing her slowly. It dipped down and she lost track of it, eyes staring into his and his staring into hers.

Something touched her hand resting on her stomach, leading it down—down her slowly, intimately. It was his and he pushed their hands down under her skirt.

His mouth was upon her ear, hot breath that smelt of sweet red wine breathing down her neck. "Do you want to know my desires?" he asked her.

Her skin erupted into a sea of goosebumps as their hands drew up her thigh.

"I have many," he whispered. "You—you are one of them. I want to destroy you but I want to feel your skin against mine when I do."

Luffy gasped when they met her center, his hand pressing hers to a place she had never ventured. Expect there was that one time a few years back, but she stopped because she was too scared to continue. But now there was no pulling back—his hand was there, keeping hers steady and in place.

"I want to be the only man whoever gets to witness you in such a state, the only man who will ever make you cry out from pleasure—_pain_—and everything in-between." His hand lead hers up and under the thin garment separating _herself_ from him.

Her breathing was pitchy now, a pulse somewhere deep inside. The fire was there in her cheeks, face flustered as she tried to look away.

"I want my name to be the only name you mutter when you reach your end and the only name you think of when you touch yourself."

Her fingertips met a warmth and her brows arched and her heart pounded hard. His fingers worked hers, sending them back and forth against her core, dipping down slightly before rising back up to that—she whimpered from the pressure, confused over the feeling building up.

"Do you like that?" he asked in a whisper, his mouth pressing down against the crook of her jaw.

Luffy whimpered softly in response, body growing weak and falling to his lead. Her hand was numb and she stopped and couldn't help but bite down on her bottom lip when he took over. She pulled her hand out from between her legs, instinctively grabbing onto the collar of his shirt, her eyes glazing over to meet his hungry stare. She could smell him—his scent mixed in with cigar and liquor.

She swore she heard him laugh but that ended when his mouth found hers, controlling that part of her as well. It was rough yet soft but also deep and she found her mind going completely numb when something entered her.

It could have been his tongue in her mouth, or his finger in-between her legs—or perhaps it was both? She couldn't' tell but she knew she was feeling new sensations—strange and frightening yet they felt _nice_.

Breaking the kiss, he bit down on her bottom lip, eyes searching hers as his finger moved faster, drawing out that pressure in a controlled rhythm. In and out it went, up and down…Luffy felt she was going mad.

"You're wet." His words were barely registered; all she could focus on was that pressure as it built to unbearable proportions. "And you have such a lewd expression on your face." Her fingers tightened around his collar, bringing his body in deeper towards her. He slowed his movements. "Say you want this," he whispered, fingers moving ever slower. "Say it."

Her mouth hung slightly open, eyes shut as she felt the sensation begin to die—too soon for her.

"Say it," he stressed again, his hand cupping that one sensitive spot.

"Yes," she whimpered out, soft like a dying whisper. "I want it, yes…"

His brows lowered, but his fingers began to pick up their pace. "Yes _what?_"

"_Sir_," she gasped, burying her head into the nape of his neck when it happened. The pressure had given way to an explosion and she felt as if something was wrong with her body. All she could think of was the feeling erupting through her and how it made mind blank.

Weird mewls crawled out of her throat, breaking free into the world and when it finally stopped, she felt her body go limp, falling back down onto the bed. Her hands still clung at his shirt and her eyes blurred slightly.

He pulled his hand out from between her legs, wet fingers tracing her inner thigh as he went. With a smirk glued on under his scar, he brought said hand out into the open and his thumb was on her lip.

"I can give you more of this," he informed her. "Come to me this Tuesday evening and I _will_ give you more."

Crocodile pushed himself away from her small form, sitting up in the bed beside her and wiping his hand clean upon her skirt. He cocked a look down at her, amused expression growing hard as he watched her. "Now get out."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** The day before Tuesday and the servants are busy making final preparations. Luffy thinks about her what happened between Crocodile and her and what choice she will make.

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**About Luffy's Character in this story:** I suppose I should have addressed this from the get-go and I apologize for waiting until now to state the following. As many of you can tell, Luffy's character appears out of character, being this shy and easily intimidated character when opposed to canon Luffy's confidence/recklessness/stubbornness/etc. I did so on purpose, and I'll try to the best of my abilities to explain why I did as such without giving away the plot/ending. (I also apologize for how lengthy this explanation may be).

I write Luffy as shy and easily intimated on purpose because my long term goal is to show how Luffy develops as a character, going from, I suppose, weak/unfamiliar qualities of the canon character into these super confident/stubborn/reckless character traits. Right now, Luffy comes across OOC. I guess that's the price I must pay if I want to play around with the idea of doing the whole major "character development" in regards to Luffy...

Now this is where it'll get tricky for me to explain myself without giving away too much plot:

Luffy, as you can probably assume from what I just stated, won't stay as this shy person, and as she, uh, experiences certain things via Crocodile, she'll grow in confidence, and due to other key plot developments, she eventually have to face/clash with him. I have plans/plot/scenes where Luffy will evolve in confidence/stubbornness/recklessness/etc.

Which also adds onto why I made Luffy shy in the first place. Since I made him Fem!Luffy for this particular story, I wanted to keep to the idea of women of the Victoria era being this shy/not-really-allowed-to-express-themselves-sexually type of character.

I chose Luffy because Luffy is confident and stubborn and not afraid to get in Crocodile's face. So I wanted to show-thorough this story-how one particular version of Luffy can go from point A (weak) to point B (strong) through certain events.

I hope this makes sense, or helps a little bit. I know it's vague, and I apologize for that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this note and for any concerns you may have about how I'm characterizing Luffy. I just want you readers to know that I didn't just slap Luffy's name on there because I wanted to get more views/reads, because I would never do that. If I wanted to create an "OC," I would have, but I wanted to play around/challenge myself with developing Luffy into confidence. : )

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**IMadeThisUp:** Omg I'm with you on that. Crocodile can be the conductor on the smut train any day. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**BatmanSwim2016:** Yay, I'm glad you like Coby's roll and Buggy's reaction. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Lol, thanks! xD

**Rodessalorenzo:** Yeah, I was originally tempted to make the tailor Wire from Kid pirates, but then I was like "Oh wait! There's Ivankov! THE PERFECT TAILOR!" I'm so happy you think that of this story; it really means a lot to me. Thank you so much!

**Yuki Rivaille:** Yesh, Croco-boy is a very sexy &amp; naughty man. Doflamingo, Law &amp; Corazon are coming up _very_ soon. Thank you so much, and you take care as well! :3

**SunaNoTora:** Once again, thank you so much for your concerns! I know I rambled on a bit in the PM &amp; up above, but I hope this helps out a little bit. I hope you stick around to read more!


	8. Buzz Buzz

**To Serve at his Command|** Buzz-Buzz

**Morning**

Luffy awoke to a dull throb within her skull.

Bringing her fingers to her face, she ran them gently beneath her eyes—she felt tired even though just awaking. She brought her fingers together at the bridge of her nose, rubbing it as she tried to recall the night before.

She simply couldn't remember how she got back to her room, or rather, it seemed all a blur. One moment she was lying on that bed fit for an emperor and the next she was crashing into her cot, falling into the safe embrace of unconsciousness. Although she found herself blanking on that portion of the night, the image of Crocodile's hard gaze within her own was engraved in the back of her mind.

Her hand fell from her face, mouth falling ajar slightly as she slowly began to piece the images together—forming one moving picture, one slightly foggy memory. He had called her in and then…then there was a drink and something about the city lights…

The image of the ceiling came to her then followed by the memory of his hand on her. Luffy shuttered, clasping both sides of her face as she realized what had happened.

Crocodile had went too far, that much was clear, and no matter what _sensations _he created the night prior, there was no fighting the uneasy feeling in her stomach. _What he did was beyond improper…it was…it was…_

It was the final push for her to make her decision.

Sitting up in the cot, she glanced over at the mirror, grimacing at the mess staring back at her. Her fingers flexed into fists as she tucked her knees into her chest, angry at herself for allowing what happened to happen. _I shouldn't have taken the drink,_ she told herself as she buried her face upon her knees. _I shouldn't have sat on his bed…shouldn't have stayed there…_

There was a lot of things she thought she shouldn't had done, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel she wasn't entirely to blame. _Employers shouldn't do those…__**things**__ with their servants. _She frowned then, glaring back over to the mirror. _It was Crocodile who did all of this, said those stupid words about __**his**__ desires and whatnot…_

Many years ago, her grandfather—with the _help_ of Ace—had warned her sternly about boys and what _crude_ things they'd ask of her. _Is this what they meant?_ _But Crocodile isn't a boy—he's a man…shouldn't he know better?_

Sighing, Luffy turned to rest her legs off the edge of the bed, feet meeting cold tile flooring. _What he did last night was wrong, but…but…_But what could Luffy do about it? He had threatened her life as well as her friends' lives with the possibility of being turned into the jailors, and he clearly had connections with the mayor. What could she—some nobody _girl_—do about getting back at somebody so _untouchable?_

_Nothing,_ her mind told her. _Nothing at all._ Pushing herself up and off the bed, she went to her desk, fingers gently touching her maid uniform. _Just make it through the next two days—don't even wait for Wednesday morning. Run straight home tomorrow night…that's it. That's the only thing you __**can**__ do._

* * *

Besides requesting to come inside, Luffy kept completely silent as she aided Crocodile in his dressing process. Any averted glances she started, she made sure to stop, knowing that _that_ gave him power. She _couldn't_ allow him any more control over her than what he already had.

Buttoning up his vest, she clenched her jaw when the familiar scent of his cigar reached her nostrils, reminding her of smells from the night prior. Her fingers flexed as they worked the last button and when she went to pull away, she caught Crocodile staring down at her intently.

"You're tense," he observed.

Not leaving his gaze, Luffy dully asked, "Is there anything else you want, sir?"

Crocodile cocked a thin brow, a look of interest passing through those sad crocodile eyes. "I would say you're a bit more than just _tense_." Pausing, a thin smirk formed. "Anger, perhaps?"

Luffy refrained from answering his question. "Is there anything else, sir?" she asked again, voice calm as she could possibly make it. Her expression remained blank—she wouldn't allow him to read her emotions, not anymore. She had to be stronger.

A strained laugh escaped through his lips as he turned to head towards his mirror. "Interesting," he stated, a slight hint of amusement in his tone of voice.

Luffy watched as he fixed his hair, slicking it back, and no matter how many times his stare glanced into the mirror to see her reflection, she kept her posture straight and eyes forward.

Crocodile turned her way, but kept his stance near the mirror. "I swore you left my room last night ecstatic, yet you return angry? Why the sudden change?"

Crossing her arms and narrowing her stare, Luffy shook her head. "I didn't," she said, forcing the anger and confusion and the icky feeling in her gut back from pouring all out.

"Didn't what?" he asked, eyes slowly glancing down to her crossed arms before returning back to her hard glare. When she went to snap because she thought he was referring to his _sir_ complex, he said, "Didn't like last night? Is that the problem?" When he took a step towards her, she took one back, causing his stare to slightly widen and his thin lips to form a smile. "You were singing a different tune last night," he informed her sweetly. "Were you not?"

Luffy slid one hand up her neck only to stop and return it back to her chest, atop the other arm. "Last night," she began, fighting back the urge to sound pitchy and unsure of herself, "shouldn't have happened…it was wrong." Swallowing, she watched a look of amusement pass through his eyes.

"Is that it?" he asked—almost in the manner an adult would address a child whom was overreacting. He sent her a coy smirk. "Is the little thief displeased with herself?"

Luffy's brows lowered, lips forming a solid frown. "That wasn't my doing," she firmly retorted. "That…that was all you…"

"You asked me to continue, don't you remember?" His tone had grown harsher, but instead of facing her, he went to sit on the edge of his desk. "You asked me to—"

"No," she muttered, loud enough to cut him off. "I didn't…that…that was you…" The words were melting upon her tongue before she even had the chance to speak, losing herself to her nerves, unsure of what to say next.

Crossing his feet, Crocodile smirked. "You're losing control of the conversation," he informed her in a friendly tone. "Whatever courage you once had is long gone, isn't it?" Breathing in deeply, he arose from the desk and approached her, his tall frame looming over hers. His hand took to her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. "The only person you're angry at is yourself for liking what happened last night."

_No,_ her mind screamed at her to say, but she remained mute. _Tell him that __**that**__ wasn't you—you…you were different, under the spell of liquor—that has to be it._

Before she had the chance to throw that out there, he softly said, "Don't start battles you can't win." He pressed his lips to her forehead briefly before pulling completely away and adding, "You can end up hurt that way."

Crocodile abandoned her to the room, alone and stiff and angry—angry that she **did** lose control. Luffy had the situation in her hand—at least in the beginning…_Did I, though?_ Her stare widened as she glared down at the floor. _He…I…Did I even have any control at all?_

It didn't matter. In the end—even if she did have control of situation or not—he left the victor.

* * *

**Mid-Morning**

The rag foamed into a sea of bubbles as she ringed it above the suds bucket, eyes watching as it dripped down into the murky liquid. Sighing, she slapped the rag down upon the tile of the dining hall, fingers gripping down tightly as he pushed it forward and pulled it back.

"I would help, but my bad back restrains me from doing as such," Tsuru stated from her seat at the table. She was polishing the silverware, eyes carefully gazing over the shiny metal.

"It's fine," Luffy huffed as she moved under the table, making sure to keep her head low enough so not to bump into it. "Besides, I'm almost finished."

The old maid hummed softly for a moment before pausing. "May I ask a question?"

"Go ahead," Luffy answered, narrowing her stare when she found a particularly tough stain on the floor. Scrubbing at it, she frowned when it clearly was going to need more effort to remove.

A moment of silence passed, causing Luffy to cock a brow in confusion. When she went to call out to the woman, Tsuru spoke. "Why do you stay?"

"Hmm?"

"In the mansion…here, why?" she repeated, voice much softer than before. "The young master…he…he seems to have taken an interest in you."

Luffy stopped rubbing at the stain so she could concentrate on what the old woman was saying. "What do you mean?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what she meant. "The master is…"

"Dangerous," Tsuru stated, voice dull—almost, blank. "You must have figured that out by now."

_I wonder if Crocodile acts the same way with Tsuru as he does with me…_Blinking, Luffy shook her head, trying to fight off the images of her employer making bold advances towards the old maid. _I doubt that's the case…but he could still act cruelly towards her._ "He likes to control things," she began before returning back to the stain. "Such as conversations, situations, people…"

The sound of silverware being picked through filled the room. "Then why stay?" Tsuru asked once more, tone curious. "If I were a young girl such as yourself, I would leave and return home. Do you not have one—a home I mean?"

"No, that's not it," Luffy said, huffing when she realized there was no winning with the stain. "It's complicated with Crocodile—the master, I mean. He used the safety of my friends against me…"

"Oh." Tsuru's voice was soft, as if she pitied Luffy.

"_But_," Luffy quickly added as she crawled out from under the table, "he said I could leave by tomorrow night." She watched as a look of confusion crossed past the woman's tired eyes.

"Is that so?" she questioned, voice doubtful. "That is rather…strange."

Luffy shrugged. "It really doesn't matter; I don't plan on staying." The conversation died at that, with Luffy packing up the moping supplies to move onto the next room and Tsuru silently tending to the silverware.

* * *

**Afternoon**

She sat under a willow tree upon the edge of the hunting grounds, along with Sanji, Usopp, and even little Coby. Sanji had made them roast chicken with a side of chopped vegetables, glistening from a wide arrange of herbs and spices.

"Tomorrow is going to be _intense_," Usopp said after sighing. He took a bite of his chicken, eyes glazing past Luffy to stare at the garden behind her. "I hope that is good enough—the master didn't really specify what tone he was wanting."

"It's fine," Sanji said after cocking a glance back as well. "I'm more worried about the feast—he wants to go hunt the damn bird tomorrow afternoon and expects me to have it ready by evening." The chef shook his head. "It's going to be _rough_ tomorrow."

Coby shrugged then. "I'm a little scared of that bird dude—the last time he came to visit, he went through all of the master's liquor and I was blamed for not having more in stock." The young boy frowned before quickly smiling. "But I made sure to pick up a _lot_ for tomorrow."

Luffy threw him a soft glance. "You'll do fine," she reassured him, smiling when he looked up at her with those round eyes. "If you need help, just ask me, alright?"

He nodded before casting his gaze aside, a soft pink coming to life in his cubby little cheeks.

"You can always help me!" Sanji sang as he took Luffy's hand between his own. "I can think of a _ton_ of things you can help me with!" He brought said hand to his chest, pressing it tightly no matter how hard she tried to pull it back. "Or if you need help with any task, you can rely on me to assist~"

"Ah, that's alright," she rejected, finally prying her hand free. "I can handle everything on my own." When Sanji started to protest, she shook her hand dismissingly. "Besides, I really don't have that much to do for tomorrow: Crocodile said my job is to tend to the guests' needs, like serving refreshments."

"That's kind of like what I have to do," Coby told her. "Maybe we'll have to spend the whole day together." He smiled softly once more.

Luffy forced back a laugh when Sanji pushed Coby aside, nostrils flaring. He went on to mutter something to the boy, but she paid it no mind. She wanted to enjoy that moment, with all of them sitting around like that laughing and arguing and just goofing off. _It might be the last time I see these guys…_A frown tugged at the corner of her lip, but she fought it back.

If anything, they were the **best** part of staying at the mansion, and Luffy swore to herself she would remember them fondly.

* * *

**Evening**

Upon finishing all of her chores, Luffy went straight for her room, not bothering to linger around just in case Crocodile had any more ideas for her. All she wanted to do was sleep off the rest of her headache in order to be all ready for the following morning.

_Not much longer_, she told herself.

Opening the door to her room, she slipped in and stopped as it closed behind her. A strange package was upon her cot, a purple ribbon on top of it. Cocking a brow, she hesitantly approached it, fingers—on instinct—reaching out to trace the ribbon.

A small card was tucked under the ribbon. Pulling it out and opening it, she read:

_Wear this tomorrow night._

There was no signature, but she instantly knew who it was from. Dropping the card, she pulled the ribbon off of the box, undoing the wrapping, and frowning at the pink paper inside. Pushing that side, her stare widened at the sight of white fabric. _What…?_

Her fingertips touched the item, feeling its soft embrace—obviously made out of fine material. Pulling at two pieces, she lifted the garment out and her mouth fell ajar. It was a bed gown—but much shorter than anything she would ever comfortably wear, probably ending somewhere in the upper-thigh region. It had a frilly skirt with a sheer slip underneath, and the upper portion of it was completely transparent and decorated with two small light green ribbons.

_Naughty lingerie?_

Her eyes gazed at the _thing_ before falling down upon another garment underneath, made of a much thicker material. Tossing the gown aside, she took the item and found that it was a robe.

_He…he wants me to wear these?_ Her gaze glanced back and forth between the two items and she felt her cheeks warm up. _Who wears stuff like this?! Who…who does he think he is?_ She forced the two articles of clothing—if the gown could even be _considered _as such—into the box and quickly forced the lid on. Without a second thought, she threw the box across the room and into a dark corner, shaking her head at the simplest thought of her wearing something like that.

_The only think I'm going to be doing tomorrow night is heading straight home!_

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N:** Short chapter with not much going on, but I needed it as a transition into next chapter—which should be quite long due to the "guest" finally arriving, along with his men. I also wanted to use this chapter as a way to show Crocodile's manipulative side in conversations as well as show Luffy's attempts at facing him, even if it was a complete failure—now, that is.

It might be a few days until I update next, only because my spring break is officially over and I have to go back to focusing on classes. That's the main reason why I've been updating a lot recently: I know I'm heading back into study mode for school and won't update as much, so I wanted to push out as much as possible.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cnerriza:** aha, yes…and well, we'll see in the next update if she does or not. Thanks for reading!

**TakeHeart:** Thank you for the concern; you raise good points. I would explain more about my plans, but that would take up too much room and I don't want to clog the update with my rambling on and on. Honestly, "Which might be what you're going for to make the transformation more compelling?" this is pretty much spot on with my goals…I don't know what else to say aside from my note in the previous chapter; this is just one of those situations where you're going to have to trust me if you wish to continue reading and believe that I mean to do this character development with Luffy. Again, I would love to go into further detail—but that would take too much room on this update and I cannot PM you. : ( Also, you're spot on about the whole "date rape" vibe because that was my goal to some extent. I wanted to show that Crocodile can be a shitty person (he is a bad guy after all) and what he did was very shady—and will (is) having a major effect on Luffy's opinion on him and her choice. Once again, thank you for the concerns! It's much appreciated. : )


	9. A Meeting

**To Serve at his Command|** A Meeting

They started arriving mid-morning, dressed in black and wearing grim faces.

"Crocodile's goons," Sanji had whispered to her as they watched from the entrance hallway window, making sure to keep hidden behind the curtains. "Consider them as _insurance_ in case the guests think about starting something."

Luffy frowned at the sight of the group, piling out of sleek black automobiles. Besides Daz, there were three other men—all interesting in their own unique way. "Are they dangerous?" she asked softly.

Sanji shrugged. "I've…_heard_ things, but I've never personally seen anything to warrant that much distress." He paused, offering her a weak stare. "I wouldn't try anything when it comes to those guys, though. You never know…"

Luffy nodded before returning her gaze back through the window. Two of the three men stood outside of the car, chatting with Daz, and the third was already heading up the path. He had short choppy orange hair and an unwelcoming expression. "I got to go greet them," Luffy told the chef before scooting out from behind the curtain. "Start bringing out the refreshments to the social room."

"Right," Sanji stated as he too pulled away from the window.

Flattening down her skirts, Luffy quickly opened the door and offered a thin smile to the man. "Welcome," she began, stopping when he pushed past her.

He sent her a dull glance before continuing inside. Luffy stared at his back as he turned down the hallway, towards the social room. Before she had the chance to follow after him to ask if he required any help, a pair of hands slipped under her arms, causing her to go wide-eyed as she was lifted off the floor.

"_**Oooooh**_!" somebody cried out cheerfully as she was twirled around. "Oh, oh! A new servant?" Luffy was met with curious eyes painted up in a thick layer of makeup. He proceeded to spin them around, happily singing, "_Un, deux, trois_!"

"Uhmph," Luffy muttered when the spinning increased in speed, causing her stomach to react rather poorly. While at first, she found his gesture fun and playful, she was beginning to feel dizzy. "S-stop," she managed to spit up and when everything came to a sudden halt, her vision became blurry.

"Oh, oh," the man commented as he placed her down, placing his hands upon her shoulders when she began to wobble over.

"She looks like she's going to barf," another voice spoke from the doorway.

Blinking her vision clear, she glanced towards the two men, frowning as they observed her curiously. "I'm alright," she weakly stated, even if it wasn't exactly true.

"Where's Mr. Zero?" the man in the back asked, voice distant and not at all as friendly as the man covered in makeup. He sported a pair of dark sunglasses, obscuring his eyes from Luffy and making it harder for her to read his facial expressions.

Cocking a brow, she questioned, "Who?"

"Croc-o-dile!" the friendlier of the two sang, doing one quick spin with his foot pointed upwards.

The man behind them let out a dull huff. "You're not supposed to say his name so casually, Mr. Two."

Mr. Two stopped his spinning, and sent one coy glance back at the other man. "We're in his house—no need to be so formal!" On pointed toes, he twirled back around to face Luffy, hands quickly squirming under her under arms and lifting her back up. "Take me to him, little lady!"

Dangling her feet, Luffy forced back a smile—partly due to the silliness of this man and also due to the tickling sensation his fingers had created in her armpits. "He wants you to wait for him in the social room," she informed the two and blinked when the other man pushed past them.

"You should stop with all the games, Mr. Two," he simply advised before disappearing down the hallway.

"No fun, no fun at all," Mr. Two said after a heavy sigh. His attention drifted from the hallway and on to Luffy, one thin brow cocking. "Do you like ballet?"

Luffy couldn't help but smile, taken aback by the random question. "I've never tried it—"

"_OH!_" Mr. Two cried out, cutting her off as he twirled down the hallway. "I'll have to teach you then, yes, yes, I will teach you!"

_What a strange person, _Luffy though as she held on for dear life. While he was a bit friendlier than most of the others she met during her time at Crocodile's mansion, she couldn't help but like this man and his flamboyant ways. _He just hast one of those likable personalities…_

Upon entering—or rather spinning—into the social room, Luffy was gently placed down upon the carpet as Mr. Two continued on towards the middle of the room, where a table of refreshments was place. He took to a glass of wine, sipping it quickly before smiling. "_Un, deux, trois_, so good!" he declared then.

The man with the orange hair—already seated down upon a dark green leather sofa—did a slow eye roll before stating, "You're not in France. Stop speaking damn French."

Mr. Two sent a dismissive hand wave before taking another sip of his drink. "The Queen may say whatever she may want to say, Mr. Nine!" he proudly stated before twirling around to face Luffy. "Where's Croc-o-dile?"

"I hope he doesn't plan on keeping us cooped up in here all day," the man with the sunglasses said with a low sigh. "I do dread these little get togethers…"

Swallowing, Luffy quickly announced, "The master should be with you in a moment—in the meantime, is there any other drinks or snacks I may bring you?"

"Cheese and crackers, dear," Mr. Two happily sang. "Cheese and crackers." He gulped down the rest of his glass before pouting. "And much more wine than this—this isn't a party without more wine!"

"This isn't a party, though," the man in the sunglasses practically snarled, clearly annoyed. "We're here for business…you seem to forget yourself—"

"More wine!" Mr. Two gleefully cried out, raising his empty glass. He scurried over to Luffy, bringing her into a side-hug. "Un, deux, trois, hurry along little dear and bring as many bottles as you can carry!"

"Y-yes," Luffy stated as she squirmed out from under his heavy arm, bowing slightly before leaving the social room. Fixing her hair, she headed down the hallway, straight for the kitchen. Upon entering it, she quickly informed the cook, "they want cheese and crackers."

Sanji cocked a brow. "They or _Mr. Two_?"

Luffy smiled lightly. "Mr. Two," she answered, and after sitting down at one of the island counters, she added, "he is a rather forward fellow."

Sanji nodded with a wide-eyed stare, as if he knew full well from personal experience. "There isn't anybody quite like him," he said. He quickly reached up to one of the cupboards, creaking it open to reveal rows of saltine cracker boxes. Pulling one out, he tossed it Luffy's way. "Now the cheese," he murmured, more to himself.

Opening the box, Luffy began to snack on the crackers as she watched Sanji retrieve a block of cheese, proceeding to cut it into thin slices. His concentrated stare drifted over to her, only to narrow as he took notice of what she was doing. "Those are for the guests."

With one cracker already on its way towards her lips, Luffy pouted slightly. "Oh…" she mumbled, glancing down at the cracker. Looking back to the chef, she saw a look in his eyes that burned with the message "don't you dare eat that cracker."

Luffy ate it.

"Damn it," Sanji said with a defeated huff, pushing the tray of cheese into her hands. "You're hopeless when it comes to food—but go on now."

With a friendly nod, she headed out of the kitchen, holding the platter tightly. Her fingers would occasionally tap along the metal plate, creating a dull tune, and by the time she reached the hallway leading to the social room, she was met with a pair of dull eyes and a puff of cigar smoke.

A frown took to her lips then.

Eyeing the platter first, he glanced down at her before stating, "I presume they've arrived?"

"Yes, sir," Luffy answered blankly. "Or, well, I believe all of them have." She wasn't exactly sure how many men were supposed to visit the mansion that day. Was three enough? Or was there supposed to be more?

Pulling his cigar from his mouth, he gave a slight nod before entering the social room, Luffy walking right behind him. The three men inside glanced their way with curious expressions—and she could only assume the one with the sunglasses was looking their way curiously as well.

"Mr. Zero!" Mr. Two spoke then, hands clasping together as he did three twirls. "I came as soon as you called for me!" His happy gaze tip-toed over Crocodile's shoulder and landed on Luffy's platter. "Cheese!" he cheered, before adding, "and crackers!"

And with an _un, deux, trios,_ Mr. Two was by her side, grabbing at the plate and picking at the slices of cheese. "But no wine?" he asked, almost sad.

"Sit down," Crocodile ordered with a dry huff. "You're not here to eat my food nor drink my wine."

Lowering his brows, Mr. Two shrugged before taking a seat on the corner of on the sofas, platter on his lap. Luffy stood to the entrance, hands folded together over her stomach and unsure of herself if she should stay or leave.

With a slight tilt of his head, Crocodile asked, "Where is Mr. Three?"

Sunglasses and Mr. Nine shared a glance and Mr. Two shrugged.

Daz's calm voice filled the room from behind Luffy, causing her to jump up in surprise. "Late, as he said he would be," he answered as he entered the room.

A look of annoyance crossed Crocodile's face as he took in a deep breath of his cigar. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to that," he simply said. "But that does not concern you three—what does is the fact that Doflamingo will be here within the next couple of hours."

Sunglasses smirked. "And you want us to, uh, _take care_ of him, hmm?" He proceeded to form a gun signal with his hand, firing off imaginary bullets at Mr. Two's head.

"As much as that will bring me happiness, that is _not_ your job tonight," Crocodile commented before heading towards the window, hand drawing back a curtain so he could peer through it. "I need you three there just in case he's idiotic enough to try something."

Mr. Nine smirked. "If he does, it'll be _bye, bye, flamingo._"

"Be on your guard today," Daz added before crossing his arms. "He's bringing along some of his men."

"Please reframe from breaking any of my stuff," Crocodile stated as he cocked his head back from the window, expression sour. "If there are to be any scuffles, try to lead them outside." His gaze slowly crossed the room over to Luffy. "And you."

Cocking a brow, she waited for whatever he had to say, feeling the eyes of the other men linger on her.

"You know what I expect from you."

* * *

They rode in fast, blazing up the drive as the wheels screeched to a stop. The sun light reflected brightly off the pink paint of their car, and Luffy watched with curiosity—as well as amazement—as she stood beside the other servants of the mansion, along with Crocodile and his men.

With her hands folded together behind her back, she casted a quick gaze down the line of servants, taking in the site of a new face—one being of a very tall and extremely slender man with dark skin and beautifully brown coarse hair. She thought she had met all of the other servants and was curious as to who that man was and what he did.

_He might work the stables_, she figured then before returning her gaze to the guests.

A girl—dressed in similar fashion as Luffy—quickly hopped off from the back of the car and scurried over the door, holding it open for whoever was inside.

A tanned hand snaked out into the sunlight, nails gracing the rim of the door. A mess of brown hair followed, soft facial features of a beauty hidden beneath. A beautiful woman stepped out first, bringing her hand up to shade her eyes from the sunlight. Her gaze slowly drifted about the grounds before landing upon the group of servants, a thin smile forming.

Following after her was a lean man of darker skin and hair, dull eyes quickly scanning the mansion before him. He wore a suit—black and fitted to his size—and his hair was combed neatly. Sliding his hands—tattooed from what Luffy could tell—into his pants pockets, he took to standing beside the woman.

After him came a man who lacked in the beauty department but made up in mass, almost as if he were a living blob. Snot-nosed and heavy of breath, he slid out of the car, one hand tightly holding onto a cane as he took to the first man's side. He laughed then before wiping the back of his hand under his nose, and Luffy caught a look of disgust travel across the woman's face.

Next to exit the car was a slender man of blonde hair and pale face. He bore a strange black marking under his eye—almost tribal, if Luffy had to guess—and his lips were darkly painted. A cigarette hung from his mouth and he took to the younger male's side, eyes slowly glazing over the line of servants.

After that, only one figure remained inside—face obscured from the tinted windows. From the corner of Luffy's gaze, she caught Crocodile's jaw clench and could only assume that the person inside was this _Doflamingo_. Holding her breath, she pulled her gaze away from her employer and watched the car door, waiting as everybody else did.

Pink feathers: that was the first thing Luffy's eyes took in as the man stepped out. With a coat ten times more out there than any Crocodile owned, this man took to the sun light, dawning sunglasses and a wide grin. His hands shot up to stretch and as his mouth opened for him to yawn, a pink tongue snaking out across his bottom lip.

"We're finally here," he loudly stated as his hands fell to his sides and he took to walking down the path. He had a strange walk—almost bowlegged in a sense—and as he approached, Luffy couldn't help but notice how _tall_ he was, at least a good two feet taller than Crocodile.

_That must be Doflamingo,_ she thought, widening her stare when the others followed after the wild blonde.

"Look at this," Doflamingo sneered, arms shooting out as if he were going to embrace Crocodile. "You're all lined up for _me_?" When Crocodile didn't share his enthusiasm, his hands went to slink into his pants pocket. "I suppose we're not on hugging terms yet?" Cocking his head, he glanced down the line of Crocodile's servants, sun light striking his glasses and reflecting back into Luffy's eyes, causing her to squint.

"I see familiar faces," the bird man began, taking a few steps Luffy's way, "and a new one." Stopping before her, he leaned forward a bit, to get a better look. "You upgraded from the old hag?"

A soft disapproving growl could be heard from Tsuru, who was standing by Luffy's side.

Doflamingo cocked the woman a coy smirk before saying, "Oh? Did I say _old_? I meant ancient." He laughed then, clearly amused by his own joke.

"Doflamingo," Crocodile said then, clearly not as amused. "We should just start this already and get it over with."

The man in pink only sent him a dismissingly wave of the hand before returning his attention back down to Luffy. She wanted to glance away from his searching stare, but couldn't help but look back up, seeing her own reflection in his glasses. "Now," he whispered so that only she could hear, "where did he find _you_?"

"_Doflamingo_," Crocodile stated once again, voice harsher. "We can continue this inside—out of the sun."

"I agree, young master," the blob of a man added as he followed the others up the path. "It's hot out and I'm sweating something fierce under my clothes."

Another round of disgust came to the woman's face, her lips twitching as she clearly wanted to gag. She remained silent, however.

"Fine, fine," Doflamingo said with a soft sigh. He shook his head as he glanced upwards at the mansion, observing, "You've fixed up the place since my last visit." And as his eyes sank back down to Luffy, he added, "And you've added some _lovely_ additions." He turned and headed towards the door, following after Crocodile. "I have a lot to talk about."

"I'm sure," Crocodile dully responded.

When they were inside the mansion, Crocodile's goons followed suit and after that, Doflamingo's. With that, the servants disbanded, with half of them going out and around towards the back of the mansion, and the other—including Luffy—entering through the front door.

Somebody took her by the wrist, earning her attention behind her. "I'll tend to the guests in the social room and you are to follow the young master to his office, along with that _man_," Tsuru said. "Do not mess today up, Miss Luffy."

* * *

Without making eye contact, Luffy poured Doflamingo a glass of brandy. The office was already thick with cigar smoke and she couldn't help but breathe with her mouth ajar. Once finished, she went to place the brandy bottle up upon the fireplace, turning around and blinking when she was met with the pink coat.

"Oh," she mouthed when a hand took to her waist, pulling her into the depths of the coat, her face coming to contact against a firm abdomen.

"How did such a cute thing as this come to work for you?" Doflamingo said with a laugh, arm keeping her firm against him, even though she tried her best to break free.

"Please refrain from attacking my maid." While she couldn't see Crocodile's face due to all the feathers, she could hear the annoyance in his voice.

Doflamingo snickered. "I'm not attacking," he said before taking a drink of the brandy. "I thought you got her _especially_ for my visit, since you know how much I love little cute things." His hand slinked up her body, palm pressing firmly against her bust.

Luffy let out a gasp—a mixture of surprise and anger—before pushing herself sharply away from him and towards Crocodile's desk, face hot from the struggle. It was on instinct that she went to Crocodile's side of the office, figuring he was her best hope of savior in such a situation.

Throwing a look to the older male who was already sitting down, she could see his jaw clenching once more, but otherwise, he remained calm, eyes narrow and lips in a firm line. "You have many maids back at your estate and I've only the two—I would much appreciate if you did no harm to this one."

A smirk came to Doflamingo as he took to sitting down on the chair across from Crocodile's desk. His legs—when folded from sitting—came up higher than any normal person, and he threw one arm over the back of the chair. "Let's talk then, I suppose."

Crocodile gestured for Luffy to move to the back of the room, to which she followed, and he said, "What is it that you need to say that you couldn't say over the phone?" He offered the blonde a coy look before reaching out for his own glass of liquor.

"I'm pretty sure you have an idea," Doflamingo answered. When Crocodile didn't answer, he continued. "Edward Newgate and Marshall Teach." There was a hint of anger in the man's voice, but his rather amused facial expression implied otherwise. "We have to deal with them."

"_We?_" Crocodile commented, arching a brow. "Now, why is that? I currently have no troubles with either man and—"

"Cut the crap," Doflamingo said then. "You know damn well the troubles brewing because of those two. They're starting an underground war and _we're_ going to end up getting caught up in the middle of it with our pants down. We need to strike first."

Crocodile's expression hardened slightly. "Do you know something that I don't?"

Doflamingo shrugged. "Perhaps…I mean, I am more apt to know things since I keep up with what's going on in _our_ world, unlike you who just sulks in his mansion all day."

A thin smirk came to Crocodile. "It would be unwise of you to think so little of me." He paused to pull out a box from his desk, causing the guest to tense in his seat.

"H-hey," Doflamingo practically growled as he jumped up from his seat, hands flexing into fists as his glass of brandy fell to the floor.

Crocodile pulled out a cigar from the box and sent the younger male a smirk. "It's just a cigar," he said while waving it. "Pulling a gun out on you like this wouldn't be very creative, would it?" His gaze fell to the floor, a grim expression forming. "You stained my carpet."

Hesitantly, Doflamingo returned back to his seat, legs crossing. "Have your maid clean it up," he offered, voice a bit uneasy as if he were still taken aback with what just happened.

When Crocodile's gaze traveled towards Luffy, she widened her own and nodded quickly. Pulling out a clean rag that she kept in her pocket, she went over to the spot. "I'll…I'll take care of this," she murmured, falling down to her knees and pressing the rag to the spot. Thankfully, it was only a little bit of brandy.

"Like I was saying," Doflamingo continued, eyes falling down on Luffy, "I think it would be best if we teamed up for the time being to take out both families."

"Has either man express interest in your clan or mine?" Crocodile asked then.

"Yeah," Doflamingo answered as his hand slid down the armrest, falling to the side of the chair. Luffy didn't notice at first, but when she felt the back of thighs become cold, she cocked a look back to see the man lifting up her skirt a tad bit.

With wide eyes, she scurried forward and out of his reach, frowning when he laughed.

"Just taking a peak, sweetheart," he said with a wide grin before licking his bottom lip.

When she got up off of the floor, she caught Crocodile sending her a confused stare—clearly he didn't catch what Doflamingo was doing due to her being out of his view because of the desk. "I think it is best if you've went to tend to the other guests," he stated then, to which she happily agreed.

Quickly she walked by the man, dodging his hand as it went to strike out at her bottom, his fingers barely grazing the hem of her uniform skirt. "She's fast," Doflamingo observed, voice excited. "I might have to take her back with me."

Luffy didn't get the chance to listen in on Crocodile's response due to her already exiting the office. She pressed the door shut and allowed herself a moment to calm her breathing. _And here I thought Crocodile was bad…_

Frowning, she couldn't help but weigh each man's actions. While this new man was rather invasive and touchy, Crocodile did much bolder things, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel his intentions were better than that of Doflamingo's. It was a strange thought, but she shrugged, figuring there was no point in trying to compare the two.

Pulling away from the door, she took in a deep breath, preparing herself to go tend to the others.

By the time she reached the stairwells, she was stopped by one grim-faced Daz. He was leaning against the railing with arms crossed and lips forming a thin frown. "You," he spoke, voice calm. "Come here."

It was the first time he had directly spoken to her since her first day at the mansion and because of such, she found her body tense and alerted, mind unsure of what he wanted. "Yes?" she asked, voice soft.

Oddly, his hands went to her hair, flattening it down in some spots, but fluffing it up in others. "Besides your duties as a maid," he explained, "you must also try your best to worm as much information out of Doflamingo's people as possible _without_ making it look obvious. I suggest working on either the fat blob or the younger male—the blonde one is awkward and mute, and I doubt you could get anywhere with him."

Frowning slightly, Luffy titled her head before asking, "I'm not sure how to _get_ information out of them…"

In a flash, it seemed as if a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Dropping one hand to his side, he lead the other to her bust, undoing the top two buttons to reveal a few inches of her clavicle region. "I'm sure you can figure out a way." Pulling away from her, he gestured for her to continue down towards the social room.

Balling up a fist, she brought it to her chest, feeling skin against skin before pushing past Daz. She knew full well what he meant then and it sent a shiver down her spine. In some senses, it was sort of like her job when she worked for Buggy. She would help rake in viewers for the side shows by flashing soft smiles and bashing her eyes lids—cute. And she could do cute easily, but what Daz was implying seemed more _intimate._

Luffy wasn't sure if she could do that.

When she reached the end of the hallway towards the entrance of the social room, she gave herself one determined nod before heading for the door, pausing when she caught the man with the sunglasses leaning in the door frame. They shared one short glance before she continued on, blinking at the awkward scene.

To one side of the room sat Mr. Two and Nine, and to the other side sat the four people that had accompanied Doflamingo to the mansion. To the back stood Tsuru. It was completely silent and the tension was thick.

All eyes turned to Luffy once she entered, causing her to stiffen. Should she ask if anybody desired refreshments? Should she go sneak over to the back to stand beside Tsuru? Or should she…

Mr. Two leapt up on his tip-toes and with a cheer, spun over to her, grabbing her wrist to spin her along with him. "Oh," he cried out happily, "is the meeting over? Please say it is!"

Shaking her head, she said, "The master is still talking with the guest."

The woman—Doflamingo's—let out a dull sigh, arm falling over the armrest of the sofa she was sitting upon. "This is going to last all afternoon, isn't it?"

The younger male shrugged slightly before crossing his legs. "I wouldn't be surprised if we end up staying until the evening." He paused before adding, "Doflamingo _can_ ramble on for a long time."

Mr. Nine let out a stern groan, hand raising an empty glass. "Whiskey," he called out, clearly in a sour mood. His eyes took to Luffy.

She quickly pulled herself away from Mr. Two and went for the tray of hard liquor, searching for the whiskey bottle. Coby had bought some of the best brands it seemed, still sealed and everything. Picking up the correct bottle, she ripped the seal off and undid the cork, wincing when it popped off across the room.

The blob of the man laughed, Mr. Two gasped, and the younger male smirked. Mr. Nine only rolled his eyes.

After pouring him his drink, she turned to face the guests' side of the room, slightly cocking a brow before asking, "Is there anything I can get you four?"

The blonde shook his head, eyes shut almost as if he were deep in thought. The woman flashed a thin smile before requesting "water," and the blob man sniffed and ordered "a tall glass of that whiskey."

The younger male declined with a wave of his hand.

Nodding, she quickly went to give the man his whiskey and the woman a glass of water, lemon slice pressed on the rim of the glass. When she took it, she offered Luffy a quick wink.

"Law!" the blob man suddenly said, coughing after taking a sip of his drink. "Is this not your first time here?"

The younger male cocked a brow and the blonde opened one eye to look their way. "It is," the younger one answered, voice cool and calm.

The blob smiled then. "You must have a tour then—it might help to kill some time." His eyes glanced up at the Luffy. "You will give Law a tour, won't you?" The way he spoke made Luffy confused, wondering why the sudden excitement.

She threw a quick glance at the Law fellow and watched as he shared an annoyed look with the blonde. "If…if he would desire one," she answered softly, eyes returning to the older male.

With two taps of his cane, he nodded and declared, "Yes, he would. This is such a…_magnificent_ mansion and I think it'll do the boy some good to admire architecture at its finest." He proceeded to laugh—awkwardly—before taking another drink.

"Yes, Law, why don't you?" the woman agreed, a small smile forming. "I'm sure this lovely maid can tell you all about the estate, no?"

A disapproving groan came from the man with the sunglasses. "Why don't you all stay seated until the two masters are done chatting?" There was a tension in his voice, a tightness in his jaw, as if he caught something Luffy didn't. "It wouldn't be wise if we started separating now."

The blob gave a dismissing wave, cracking a wide grin. "Just the boy, that's all. A shame if he can't get the chance to take in all the work your master has put into such an estate." He paused before adding, "And the maid there can handle him, I'm sure. The rest of us will stay here, like good little foot soldiers."

Clearing his throat, Mr. Nine glanced up towards sunglasses. "I'm sure it will be fine, Mr. Five." A coy look crawled past his gaze and for a moment, all was silent.

Until Mr. Five shrugged and relaxed his posture, returning towards the door frame.

And so Luffy lead out the man known as Law, earning a satisfied smirk from Daz as he entered the room. There eyes connected for just a moment and the look in them implied that he was glad to see her pulling one of the four out alone.

Luffy took the man down the hallway, making sure to keep her walk to a comfortable pace. She could occasionally cock a look back at him, blink at his concentrated expression, and then snap her attention forward when she couldn't figure out what to say.

By the time they were well and far away from the social room, she stopped and weakly asked, "What is it you would like to see first?" Luffy was never one for showing people around and the only knowledge she had of the mansion was what Tsuru had happened to mention the day she first arrived.

Law shrugged, expression blank as he glanced around. "I was hoping you would know."

But what was there to show off? There was the mansion and the dozen upon dozen of rooms inside—surely he wasn't that interested in knowing all about such rooms as the kitchen or guest housing. Then there was the hunting grounds, garden, and the stables—but she had yet to venture that far out and didn't want to look a complete fool.

So, really, all she had up her sleeve was the gardens and hunting grounds.

"Do you want to see some flowers?" Her question came out awkward, causing her expression to dull before quickly adding, "The garden…would you like to see that?"

With a shrug, he nodded.

* * *

In the middle of the garden stood a fountain—made of stony marble and filled with koi. It was rather beautiful, and because of a near-by willow tree, it was shrouded in shade. They sat on the edge in silence.

Crossing her arms, Luffy couldn't have felt more embarrassed for herself. _This is by far the worse tour ever known to man!_ All she practically muttered when they arrived was "this is the fountain," and then the two proceeded to sit down.

She snuck a glance his way, watching as his eyes searched the dirt beneath their feet. He seemed…uninterested, to say the least, as if more bored than when inside the social room.

After another moment of silence, he sighed before clasping his hands together and throwing her a strained smirk. "What's your name?" he asked in a friendly tone, but his eyes hinted at something else, something Luffy wasn't quite sure of.

"Luffy," she answered, folding her own hands upon her lap. "And you were…_Law_?" she questioned.

He nodded, paused, forced a thin smile and said, "I'm glad you remembered."

It was awkward.

"Ah, well, yes," she answered, casting her gaze aside. Daz's words came to her then, reminding her of what _they_—Crocodile and Daz—were expecting of her. Biting down on her lip, she glanced back up at him and asked sweetly, "Where do all of you come from?"

_Start with small talk and build up from there._

"Up a ways," he started, bringing one hand up to brush a strand of hair out of his face. She took in the tattoos, gaze widening from the strange symbols. He noticed and glanced down at his hand.

"Those are interesting," she asked, fingers lifting off of her lap to touch his hand. When he didn't flinch away, she pressed her fingertips against the skin that was inked and smiled softly. "Did it hurt?"

"Only a pinch," he answered as his fingers flexed into a fist. He pulled his hand away from hers and offered her a coy stare.

Folding her hands together over her chest, Luffy tried to smile. "Oh, well, I bet they make you look tougher in…in whatever Doflamingo has you do."

For a moment, he just stared at her, dull eyes searching her expression. "Perhaps," he finally answered before glancing off into the distance. "And what is it you think I do?"

Blinking, Luffy glanced down at the koi fish swimming dangerously close to them, obviously curious and hungry. She dipped a finger into the water and smiled when they began to nibble at her. "I wouldn't know," she answered softly.

"And what is it that you _do _know?"

Luffy glanced sharply at him and watched as his expression morphed from curiosity to annoyance. "I mean," he began quickly, jaw clenching as he fought to find the right words, only to fail.

_Is…is he searching for information?_ Frowning, Luffy felt angry at herself for not catching it sooner. _That's why that blob man was so interested for me to give this man a tour, so he could try to fish information out of me…And then that sunglasses person—Mr. Four, I think—had caught on…_Had she figured out the game? Was she in the lead? Did this Law person realize that she too was fishing for information?

With a smile, she cheerfully stated, "I'm only a maid. I don't know much of what Sir Crocodile does." She made sure to keep her tone happy, expression welcoming, but in the end, her voice sounded a tad pitchy. While her statement was partially true, Luffy wasn't completely oblivious to Crocodile's lifestyle. She knew a few things worthy of interest, but she knew she had to do her best to keep it a secret from this man, at least for the time being.

The dull expression on Law's face implied that he didn't buy it, but he sighed and said, "Very well then. And I know little of what Doflamingo does."

Luffy pouted.

A smirk tugged the corner of Law's mouth.

_This is going nowhere,_ she though sadly, upset that she was such a terrible spy. _This guy is too hard to sweet talk, what with his stupid dull expressions…I bet I could have gotten more out of the blob man or maybe even that blonde…_

Crossing her arms, Luffy sighed, tensing up when she caught Law watching her with an odd stare. "What?" she asked suddenly—she was tired of keeping up to etiquette, knowing there was no point in trying to pick around for information. And she really didn't care if word got back to Crocodile of her acting rude towards a guest—she had plans on leaving that night, so what would be the point?

Law cocked a brow, clearly interested. "Is there something I said to set you off into this sour mood?"

Luffy nodded and decided she would just tell him straight up. "My master wanted me to sweet talk you into revealing some information—but that clearly _isn't_ happening. But I don't care anymore; I'm tired of all of this." The words all came pouring out of her, and oddly, it felt nice to confide in someone about the matter. "I don't understand all of this," she continued, feeling her anger build. "It's all stupid—_he's_ stupid. And…and…"

"Should you really be telling me all of this?" Law asked, voice low. She met his stare and saw a mixture of curiosity and excitement in it, as if he were dissecting something. "This meeting can very well end up poorly and our two groups may become enemies."

"Your," she corrected. "I'm not part of any of this."

Law paused, as if processing what she just said. "No?" he asked. "Are you not his maid?"

"_Was_…or I won't be by tonight. I'm quitting when you all leave."

He nodded. "Interesting. And may I ask why?"

She shrugged, unsure of how to explain that one. _Should I just tell him that Crocodile is a straight up pervert? Or should I make up something?_ It was her chance to throw Crocodile under the bridge, reveal all his bold desires to this man, to which he might forward it to Doflamingo. _Crocodile might get really pissed off it that happens…might come after me then…_Sighing, Luffy shrugged once more. "Being a maid is tough work, that's all. I don't think I'm cut out for it."

Before she knew it, Law's hand was on her shoulder. He gave her a warm expression. "You can tell me anything you want about Crocodile and I swear Doflamingo will give you protection. You scratch our backs, we scratch yours—but only if you have something to offer." His face was of warmth and welcoming but his words came across as cruel and to the point.

A mixture of both, perhaps?

Luffy shook her head. She didn't want to get tied in with Doflamingo when just now breaking away from Crocodile. All she wanted was just to go _home_. Before she had the chance to verbally decline Law's offer, the sound of a high-pitched voice from across the garden erupted.

"_Un, deux, trois!"_ Mr. Two sang as he leaped out across the garden, twirling twice before stopping before Luffy. "I've found them!" he cried out happily, hands grabbing hers as he pulled her up and over his shoulder, her eyes going wide. As he turned to head away from the fountain, she caught Law sending them a confused look. "Croc-o-dile!" Mr. Two continued. "Over here!"

As the man did another spin, she would now see Crocodile sending them a dull gaze, Doflamingo cracking a wide grin, Coby watching with pure horror, and Daz remaining emotionless. Once she was placed back down before the four, she had to take a moment to balance herself out.

"Let's go hunt something," Doflamingo stated loudly as he turned towards Coby, who was holding an armful of different guns. He quickly took the longest—a shotgun—and pointed it at Crocodile before mouthing "Bang-bang, motherfucker." Throwing the gun across his pink shoulder, he laughed at Crocodile's stern expression before heading out towards the hunting grounds. "Let's make this quick—I'm hungry."

Turning towards Coby, Crocodile picked out a handgun—beautiful in design. He inspected it briefly before handing it towards Luffy. When her eyes widened at it, he sternly ordered, "You'll hold my gun until I need it." The gun was forced into her hands and he turned to follow after Doflamingo—and Law—with Coby and Mr. Two following suit.

Luffy sent a timid stare up towards Daz, frowning when he crossed his arms and gestured for her to follow. "Did you find out anything?" he asked, voice hinting at a bit of hope.

"No."

Daz remained silent for the rest of the walk to the hunting grounds.

* * *

Doflamingo was crouched down in some bushes, with the top of his head sticking out due to his massive height. He would look one way, then the other, lips pressed into a firm line. "What type of sport did you bring in?" he questioned, clearly unamused at the lack of animals near them.

Crocodile smirked. "Something new," he answered. "I'm sure you'll enjoy hunting it."

"I better," Doflamingo commented before removing himself from the bush. "It must be a sneaky little bastard—I can't find it anywhere."

"You can say that," Crocodile said, throwing an amused look over to Daz.

Luffy, alongside Coby, stood off near a tree line, watching patiently as those three men wondered about. Mr. Two had ran off once spotting a flock of swans, and Law had left because he deemed the whole idea too boring.

"Have you've ever hunted before?" Coby asked in a whisper, eyes slowly lifting up to meet Luffy's.

She shook her head no. Luffy never had it in herself to end another's life—yes, there was the occasional bug, but when it came to animals or humans, she only shuttered at the thought of going that far.

Her fingers gripped tightly at the handle of the gun, heavy in her hand. She didn't want to hold such a thing, but she would have felt silly to ask Coby to hold it for her. _He's just a kid, yet he looks so comfortable holding such things. I…I need to become tougher…_

Suddenly, Crocodile was reaching his hand out their way. "My gun," he stated, eyes glued on something in the distance. Luffy quickly handed it off, feeling better about not having to hold up.

Perking up, Doflamingo waddled over to them, pointing his shotgun straight up. "You see one?" he asked, voice dripping with excitement. "Where's the little fucker, huh?"

"Over behind that tree down there, by the creek. If you squint hard enough, you can see part of its body sticking out."

A frown came to Doflamingo then. "You know I have terrible eyesight…" Pausing, he took a step forward, as if he was searching for whatever was out there. "I…I think I see it," he began, tone picking up in excitement. He aimed his gun, one long finger finding the barrel and then—_bang._

The explosion almost left Luffy deaf. She winced as she covered her ears, eyes clamped shut from the sudden gunshot.

"I got it!" Doflamingo cheered, pushing past Crocodile as he waddled off to claim his prize. Upon reaching the creek, his expression melted, morphing from a quick glance of horror to utter enragement. "The fuck?" he screamed, kneeling down to get a better look. "Is this…?"

"Well," Crocodile said with a gleam in his eye, "it seems you hunted dinner! Practically blew the flamingo's entire head off." He ran his hand through his hair once before adding, "It looks kind of like you." He chuckled.

Doflamingo's lips kept to a heavy frown, clearly unamused by the joke. "Bastard," he growled before getting up. "You think you're so goddamn funny," he continued pushing past Crocodile and the rest of the group. "_Watch_—you won't be the last one laughing."

Smirking, Crocodile turned to Coby and simply ordered, "Pick it up and bring it to the chef. Tell him to have dinner ready within the next two hours."

* * *

The fully cooked flamingo lay plucked and glistening on the table before Doflamingo. A look of annoyance was glued on his face as he glared at the plate, clearly still pissed off at Crocodile's little joke. "You're lucky we were able to come to an understanding so that I may overlook this…backhand insult, Crocodile," he finally said before pressing his fork into the bird. He took a bite, paused, and shrugged. "You're also lucky that flamingos taste amazing." He shot Luffy—who was standing in the back of the dining room holding a wine bottle—a sly look.

Crocodile, who was sipping from his glass of wine, shrugged. "I thought it would lighten the mood."

The blob—that Luffy later learned from Coby was named Trebol—gave off a rather annoyed huff, but fought back the urge to speak out.

"This is rather good," the woman—known as Viola—said. "My compliments to the chef."

"I'll be sure to have the message passed on to him," Crocodile responded before working his way to his plate. "But, Doflamingo, I assume you plan to keep to your end of the bargin then, yes?"

The pink feathered man smirked before leaning back in his seat. "You do your part, I'll do mine, and we shouldn't' have any problems with those two men."

The conversation died at that and they ate the remainder of their dinner in silence.

* * *

"It's time for me to depart," Doflamingo said, almost sighing, to Luffy as her cornered her to a wall. She was meant to show him and the others out, but he stayed behind to give her a special farewell. "It's such a shame I didn't have the chance to get to know you personally," he added once her back was to the wall. "It makes me jealous to know Crocodile has such things stowed away all to himself."

"Doflamingo," Viola called out from outside. "It's getting late and they're waiting for us."

Doflamingo pouted before patting Luffy's cheek. "Catch you around," he said, pulling away to leave.

She watched from the main entrance as they all piled into the car, with Law entering last. He threw her a glance before smirking slightly and getting in. The engines roared and once the gates open, they were blazing down the street.

Closing the door, Luffy sighed before turning around to find Tsuru watching her a few feet away. She had something in her hand and a sad look planted upon her face. "Here is your pay for the past week," she began, handing over a few bills—more than anything Luffy ever received. "The young master wishes me to inform you that he is awaiting your visit tonight." A look of concern passed through her eyes before she nodded and turned to leave.

Luffy's fingers gently pressed in on the bills, crumpling them up slightly. She shoved them into her pockets and began heading towards the stairwell, walking down the steps and continuing towards her room. Upon entering, she took a deep breath and quickly went for her duffle bag, throwing everything she needed inside.

She eyed the box given to her the prior day and stuck her tongue out at it. _He's going to have to wait all night! I'm not going!_ With a proud grin, she slammed her door shut and ran straight for the entrance door.

_I'm out of here!_

The air was nippy but she didn't care. She had a long walk back home and she just couldn't wait to see the look on Buggy's face. _Starting tomorrow, everything will be back to normal! Nothing can go wrong._

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** A visit with Ace—and some bad news—leaves Luffy in a situation she'd much rather not be in.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Rodessalorenzo:** Oh, welcome back then :D

**Guest:** It'll be revealed why Crocodile chose Luffy eventually—and it has to do with his past. For sure, Brook (who was mentioned in this chapter as the other servant Luffy didn't recognized) and Robin. I have an idea for Nami, but I'm not exactly sure, and I have ideas for Franky, Chopper, and Zoro that I still need to work on a bit.

**Anon:** I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to add a preview! D: My updates will probably be about once or twice a week now that I'm back in class, that is until I hit summer break—the update count might increase by then. I'm glad you're liking it! And no, I didn't draw it—it's beautiful though, and really fits with the story. If anybody knows the artist, please share because I found it on a random site with not credits! D:

**SunaNoTora:** Yeah, Luffy is going to build in her confidence and ability to show resistance to Crocodile, slowly but steadily. *hands over lingerie* you may have it :3 haha

**Mingo:** Thank you so much for all the reviews and your interest in this story! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I hope the brief moments I had of Doflamingo in this chapter were good enough for you. : )

**Yuki Rivaille:** ahah, your reviews make me smile. xD I'm glad you like that past two chapters!


	10. X

**To Serve at his Command|** X

The shoveling of dirt awoke her abruptly to an icy room, thick of odd smells and loud snores. Frowning, Luffy cracked one eye open to search her surroundings, taking in the familiar lumps of blankets that covered her co-workers—fellow thieves.

While it was a downgrade in some senses to Crocodile's mansion, Luffy couldn't help but smile softly. It was home, and no matter how crude the smells got or how cranky the others could get in the morning, she felt at utter peace at that moment.

Until, that is, another clank of metal erupted in her ear. Pushing herself up with a quick yawn, Luffy threw a glance towards the direction of the sound, finding herself staring directly at the window. Getting up, she tip-toed across the room—making sure not to bump into the others still lost in sleep—and blinked at what she found.

Buggy digging, a grim look painted on his face.

Cocking a brow as well as an amused smile, she propped the window open, peaking her head out and waving for the clown's attention. "What are you doing?" she asked, curious.

Buggy threw her a sharp glance before forcing the shovel down into the dirt. His lips trembled for a second and a low mewl of a cry came out. "Just digging my grave, that's all," he answered, eyes growing blank. He proceeded to continue digging, muttering something about her being the death of him.

Resting her chin into her palms, Luffy asked, "And why are you doing that?"

Buggy stopped, throwing the shovel over his shoulder before turning around and approaching her at the window. He pointed one dirt covered finger up at her and with a heavy frown, said, "Because of _you, _I'm a dead man walking! You went and got involved with the wrong type of guy and now _I'm_ going to have to pay for it!" He paused, eyes growing angry as he turned to return to his makeshift grave. "You're the most idiotic thief I ever did bring into my home. Robbing a goddamn mafia lord—only you, _Luffy_, only you!"

Luffy smirked, remembering the night before when she returned. Buggy, at first, was ecstatic she had returned to continue pickpocketing for him, but after she showed him her pay from her week of service, he grew pale of face and very nervous. He thought she had _taken_ that money instead of earning it fair and square, and was dead-set on believing Crocodile would soon show up. "It's the only reason why you'd return," Buggy had said the night before, voice pitchy. "You robbed him and now you think you can hide out _here_?"

She had tried her best to convince him otherwise, but clearly—by the way he was acting that morning—she would need to try harder.

"He's not going to come after us—he gave me his word," she informed him happily.

Buggy snorted and she couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic. "_His word_," he repeated, voice low and full of anger. "His word is utter shit, that's what it is—and you're just plain dumb to even believe that." He shook his head, locks of blue hair tumbling down across his face as he swung at the dirt. "When they carve my gravestone, have them write '_Died because of dumbass Luffy_,' yeah?"

Rolling her eyes, Luffy closed the window. While she would have _loved_ to continue that chat with Buggy, she had more important issues at hand, such as meeting her older brother—something she quite wasn't ready for.

Because of her employment with Crocodile—and then her sudden unemployment—she hadn't the chance to formulate a proper lie to give to Ace. _What am I going to tell him when he starts asking questions? He does love his questions—picking at every little detail, making sure I'm alright…_While she did appreciate Ace's protective side at times, it could get a bit overbearing.

She couldn't very well tell him about her adventures with Crocodile—that would definitely send him overboard, and to mention Buggy and his shady activities would be ill advised. What was left? _Should I just sprout the same lie I wrote to grandfather and say I'm working for a baker? And what if he becomes curious and wants to check out the bakery?_

Running her hands through her hair, she sighed heavily, knowing that thinking like that was only going to build more panic in her. _I'll just have to stick to my guns and hope he doesn't get __**too**__ curious…_

Shrugging, Luffy decided that was all she _could_ do and went to the bathroom to prepare for her afternoon with Ace.

* * *

With wide eyes, he came barreling out of the train, almost tripping on his way down the steps. His arms shot out and he took her in his arms, crushing her in a bear hug. "Luffy!" he cheered, arms growing ever tighter around her. "You're _alive!_"

"Y-yeah," she managed to spit up, feeling the air leave her chest. "I'm a-alright, but I won't make it if…if you keep squeezing me like t-this!" And with that, Ace released her, patting her down roughly on the head.

"I was worried that you didn't get my letter," he said before turning to pick up his luggage—a beat up leather duffle bag, obviously meant for a short trip. "Or worse—that you were dead." His expression grew heavy, full of anger and fear. "You shouldn't have left home like you did—when grandfather told me, I practically died of fright."

"No you didn't," Luffy huffed, annoyed when Ace sent her a friendly smirk. Crossing her arms, she added, "And I can handle myself, thank you very much." She began to lead them out of the station and towards the main city district.

"_Sure_," Ace mouthed as he followed her, clearly unconvinced. "And working as…what was it, again?"

"Baker's apprentice," she slowly answered, forcing back a wince as the lie rolled off her tongue. "I, uh, bake things and help set the shop."

Ace nodded, a brow slowly rising. "Is that so?" he questioned, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "Did you bring any of these bake goods for your dear brother?"

Luffy fought back a whine of fear. "Well," she quickly answered, voice shaky as she tried to figure out a good lie. "I _would_ have, but my boss wasn't keen on me taking food—and I can't anger the boss, you know?"

Her older brother sent her a thin smile. "Oh, well, you can just take me there and I can buy something. I really want to try your cooking."

With wide eyes, Luffy shook her head. "We…we can't!" she shouted, wining at how high her voice had gotten. "I m-mean, the bakery is closed for today. Since I took the afternoon off to visit you, the boss thought he'd take it off as well to visit…visit family, yeah…"

"Luffy…" Ace began, only to be stopped by Luffy's dismissing hand wave.

"Let's just drop it, alright?" she asked, sending him a pleading look. "I'm doing perfectly fine with work—don't worry. Besides…" She trailed off to reveal a bag of her own that she brought, full of small sandwiches she had made. "I made this—wouldn't you rather have a nice lunch that I made then some stupid bread?"

Ace's stare fell to the bag before slinking back up. With a shrug, he nodded. "Fine, fine, I'll cut it out with all the questions about the bakery, but," he leaned in to whisper, "we need to talk about something important."

Frowning, she sent him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Not here," he quickly answered, eyes darting around them. "It'd be better if we spoke somewhere away from everybody else. Got a place in mind?"

Luffy paused to think. "I suppose we can go to the park…?"

Ace nodded. "That's perfect."

* * *

They sat under a tree, secluded from any other visitors at the park. The food—what little of it—was sprawled out before them in a makeshift dinner setting, and Luffy couldn't help but smile as Ace took a bite of his sandwich.

A mixture of emotions passed through his eyes, causing her to frown. "It's not the best, but it's editable," he said. "Are you really a baker? I'd think they'd want somebody with more…_talent_ than this."

Widening her stare, Luffy punched him on the arm to the best of her ability. "That's not nice," she huffed, gasping afterwards when he shoved her back.

Laughing, Ace retorted with, "You should learn how to handle the truth better." He took another bite before adding, "Besides, I said it wasn't _that _bad." After a moment, his smile dissolved, only to be replaced with a heavy frown. "Things have gotten worse…"

Luffy placed her own sandwich down upon her lap, eyes searching her brother's grim expression. "What has?"

Ace glanced away, out towards the distance. His jaw clenched for a moment before he finally huffed and answered. "Everything, really. I don't even know where to begin…" He threw a sad look her way. "I'm sorry for getting you and gramps involved with my shit."

"Ace," she began, only to be stopped.

"Let me talk first," he said softly before crossing his legs. "I'm not sure how much gramps has told you, but I'm sure he only gave you the simple version." Pausing, he tapped his fingers together, as if taking a second to figure out what to say next. "I'm in debt…and I can't explain why, so please don't ask me."

Luffy remained mute, but offered a nod.

"This person I'm indebted too…he…" Ace frowned. "He's not a good guy, let's just put it at that. I…I fucked up real bad, Luffy, and now this guy might come after me—you and gramps even—if I don't do certain things—again, please don't ask for details." A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "There's more."

"What?" she asked in a whisper, feeling herself grow paler with every passing second.

"I've met somebody who might be able to get me out of this mess, but only if I help him out," he explained. "Problem is, he's an enemy to the man I'm indebted too, and if I'm ever caught working for him, that's it—I'm good as dead. It's like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Ace," Luffy said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "What…what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he answered, offering her a weak smile. "What can I do?"

Tilting her head, Luffy took a moment to think of any possible solution. "You can try running away?" she offered weakly.

Ace shook his head. "They'd fine me—or worse, just come after you guys. And…and I'm not one to run away from my problems, you know that."

Biting down on her lip, Luffy glanced down at her food. "What do these men want?"

"I…I can't really answer that," Ace answered, frowning slightly. "I would love to tell you, but I'm worried to get you too involved more than you already are." Pausing, he let out another sigh. "I'm sure if I were able to help them out in some big way, my debt would be cleared."

"And…these men are involved with the mafia?"

Ace sent her a hard stare before moaning out in annoyance. "What else did gramps tell you?" he asked, voice heavy with anger. "I asked him not to say too much to you…"

Scratching her chin, Luffy said, "Don't blame him; I asked. He told me that this guy you're indebted too was heavily involved in the mafia world—said his name was Blackbeard?"

He nodded, throwing his gaze aside. "Yeah, that's it," he said dully. "It's just an alias, though. I found out his real name from the other man I told you about—Teach. Such a stupid name…" He continued to mutter insults under his breath about the man, but Luffy found herself lost in thought.

_Teach_, she thought, confused. _That name…I've heard it before._ Fluttering her eyes shut, she tried to recall from where and when she heard such a strange name. Doflamingo's voice filled her head, the smell of cigar coming to life in her nostrils. _Edward Newgate and Marshall Teach…yes, that was it._ Snapping her eyes opening, Luffy found herself muttering, "Marshall Teach?"

Ace—who was in the middle of a rather nasty insult—stopped suddenly, sending her a harsh glare. "How did you…?"

Blinking, Luffy realized her mistake. _Oh no! I only know that information because I was working for Crocodile! He doesn't know anything about that!_ She casted her wide-eyed gaze aside, fingers folding together as she felt Ace dig daggers into her side with his probing stare.

"_**Luffy?**_" he asked, voice stern. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, just…just a guess," she whispered, wincing when he took a hold of her shoulder, forcing her to look his way.

"You're lying," he said, eyes searching hers. "You get all shaky and nervous and bashful when you lie, and you're hiding something, aren't you?" His voice grew in a mixture of excitement and anger. "Spill it."

Luffy wanted to hide, afraid of what to tell him. She wanted to help him out—she really did, but she also didn't want to freak him out by revealing her past week with Crocodile. When his hand didn't released her, she sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay," she began slowly. "So, I may have had a short-term employment as a maid for a certain person—"

"Name," Ace demanded sharply. "You're not leaving out a single detail, Luffy. Not a damn one."

"That's not fair," she whined in response. "You were vague in your explanations."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter; I'm the older brother here and what I say goes. So, name, please."

Biting down on her bottom lip, she whispered out weakly, "Crocodile."

The look of shock in his eyes hinted that he knew full well who said man was, hand releasing her shoulder so he could rub the side of his face. "Crocodile?" he mouthed, clearly still taken aback. "You worked for _Crocodile_?" His gazed hardened as it snapped back to hers. "Do you even have the slightest idea what type of man he is?"

"I have an idea," she answered softly. "Same type of business as that Teach guy, right?"

Ace practically snorted at her answer. "You can say that," he said, voice angry. "Damn it, Luffy! I can't believe you—how the hell you'd get involved with that type of guy, huh?"

Crossing her arms, Luffy tried her best to send her older brother a matching angry look. "Listen here, it's not like I knew he was involved in that sort of stuff when first working for him, alright? I just went in thinking I'd make some quick cash to send back to you to help with the debt."

A look of guilt crossed Ace's face, his once hardened expression growing weak. "Luffy," he said softly, "I never asked for you to do that."

"But I did," she snapped back. "I'm not just going to sit around back home while you're struggling—that's why I really left, to help you out as much as I can. And so what if I end up working for some big shot, huh? I handled it and it's over, so don't worry."

Ace cocked a brow. "You're not working there anymore?" A look of relief came to life upon his face, his body relaxing.

"Yeah," she answered with a nob. "And anyway, while I was under his employment, I happened to overhear a few details—he was talking with some guy called Doflamingo about that Teach man as well as an Edward Newgate." She stopped when she noticed Ace lost in thought.

"And…and he just said such information in front of you?" he questioned.

Luffy nodded. "He didn't seem to mind me being there, really." Pausing, she thought about it. "Actually, I think he wanted me to hear—as strange as that sounds. I think he thought he could get me to spy on his guests, but I'm not so good at that sort of thing…"

"Luffy," Ace said then, voice growing in excitement. "Now, listen to this—and don't say anything until I'm done, alright?"

She nodded, confused by his sudden excitement.

"First, know that I love you more than anything and I wouldn't _ever_ put your life in danger if I didn't think you'd get hurt."

When she went to question him, he stopped with a wave of his hand.

Licking his lips, he began to explain a plan. "I…I think I have an idea how to get myself out of my mess, and you're going to help me. But, uh, first, answer me this: Has he hurt you? Or has he shown anger at you…or is he mean to you?"

Luffy frowned slightly. "Mean?" she asked before shaking her head. "He got a bit cranky at times—but that was with everyone working there."

"And he never laid a hand on you?"

That question left Luffy blank, unsure if she should answer truthfully or lie. "No…" she said slowly. "No, he hasn't."

"You're telling me the truth, right?" Ace questioned, voice serious. "I need to know this before I can ask of your help."

While she hated lying to Ace, she hated his reactions more. "Yeah."

Ace took a long moment to process the information before nodding. He continued his plan. "I think if you were able to work for him again, and perhaps search around for information or listen in on any of his conversations, I could get out of my debt to Teach. You see, Crocodile is on Teach's…hit list—he hates him, really. And if you were able to forward some _good_ information on him or his business, I may be able to worm out from Teach's anger."

First, a look of confusion took to Luffy's face, followed by slight fear, then anger, and finally understanding. Ace was asking her to spy on Crocodile, pick around for hidden secrets, and report back to him. She brought her hand to the nape of her neck, eyes falling down on the ground as she thought everything over.

_I don't want to go back, but if this is the only way to help Ace out…how…how can I say no?_ She glanced up at her brother, searching his concerned expression. "Ace," she began softly, "I'll…I'll do it." Luffy was ready to head back into pit if it meant saving her brother.

A smile came to him then. "Luffy," he said before quickly calming himself. "Luffy, you can always back out if you get too scared, or if you feel things are not working out for you. Don't go into this if you feel unsure—only do this if you're confident and you believe you can sneak around his stuff unnoticed."

Luffy nodded. "I…I can. When I worked as his maid, I was allowed to go into many of the rooms—unsupervised. And that includes his office. I think if there is anything of value, if would be in there."

Ace shook his head, agreeing. "This very well might be my—_our_ salvation, Luffy." He went to hug her tightly. "You've grown braver since I last saw you."

While that may have been true, Luffy was completely terrified at the thought of going back to that mansion, facing _him._ She had left in a rather quick haste and she knew what was on Crocodile's mind the night before—he surely mustn't had taken the news too lightly when he found out she left.

Swallowing, Luffy pulled away from the embrace and offered her brother a soft smile. "I'd do anything for you, Ace. Anything."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Luffy slinks back to Crocodile's mansion to beg for her job back—but to no surprise, he is in a rather sour mood. What will she have to do to convince him?

* * *

**Thank****s for reading!**

**Stardustadventurer:** I'm so glad you think that! I was nervous I didn't portray that curiosity/fear/interest in her first real sexual encounter properly, but I'm happy that you thought I did! Thank you for sharing your thoughts/views on it; it really pushes up my confidence in writing such scenes!

**IMadeThisUp:** Haha, thank you so much! I was afraid that the hunting scene was too short after I uploaded the chapter, but I'm glad to see you enjoyed it! Thanks!

**Anon:** Aw, thanks! I'll try to update as much as I can—and I should really pick it up in about six weeks when I get out of school for summer break. I'm hoping I'll be able to blaze through the rest of the story and finish it by the end of summer. Doflamingo's feathers are breathtaking and sexy and he's just a sexy flamingo. I mean, who would have thought a flamingo could be that wonderfully amazing? Crocodile is not pleased over Luffy's actions, that's all I'll say now. Thanks for the review!

**SunaNoToar:** Oh yes, Mr. Two! Who could not love him? Yeah, Luffy is going to pay for what she did and will have to deal with Crocodile's wrath. Since I only keep it to Luffy's POV, his face would be more along the lines of "Where the hell is she? It's like two in the morning and she's not here yet? And holy shit…is she even _coming_?" And then his face would do that weird expression change it did in the anime when Luffy drank all that water from the barrel in the Alabasta arc. Lol okay I'm done. Thanks for reading!

**Son of Whitebeard:** Haha, yes! Buggy mishaps are one of the best things to write, I've found. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	11. Going Back

**To Serve at his Command|** Going Back

With arms crossed, Luffy glanced down into the grave, frowning when she found one sleeping clown. He had the shovel tucked in his arms across his chest, legs crossed. "Wake up," she called down to him.

Buggy—after a groggy yawn—cracked one eye open at her, brows lowering into a grim expression. "What do you want?" he asked, voice tired.

"I'm heading back to the mansion."

Nodding, Buggy fluttered his eye back shut only to snap his eyes back wide open. "_What?_" he screamed, pushing himself up into the sitting position to get a better look up at her. "What did you just say?"

Tilting her head slightly, she repeated herself for him. "I'm going to go back to Crocodile's and ask if I can continue working as his maid. Thought I'd say goodbye before I left." A smirk came to her at the mixture of emotions erupting upon the clown's face—going from shock to confusion to fear and then finally to anger.

"You must be joking," Buggy said as he stood up, hands grabbing the edge of the grave to pull himself up. "You have to be—I mean, just this morning you were swearing up and down that you were done with that guy, _right_?" Before she had the chance to respond, he took her shoulders and began shaking her back and forth—a favorite gesture of his it seemed. "_Right?_" he repeated, louder this time. "Please tell me you're shitting me!" A look of panic went through his eyes, face growing pale. "You just have a really sick sense of humor, right?"

Luffy shook her head _no_, prompting the older male to cry out a strange noise, fingers pulling away from her shoulders to shake to each side of his head. His mouth hung open and it appeared he was trying to say something, but nothing came out.

And that continued on for a good minute before he shook his head and took a deep breath. "I can't," he stated, turning around and waking oddly towards the door to his shack. "I just_ can't_ anymore with you." Before he opened the door, he paused and said, "I took you in for the past few months—raised you up to become a fine thief, but it's time you left the nest." Cocking a look back at her, he revealed a tearful face. "Mama bird can't stand up to crocodiles, so…" Along with his expression, his voice grew deep and full of anger. "_So don't lead the crocodile here._" And with that, he scurried inside and slammed the door.

Luffy—almost at the verge of feeling guilty—frowned when she saw the clown peak a look at her through the window, eyes narrow and lips in a firm line. He proceeded to wave his hands at her in a shooing gesture before drawing the curtains back.

Sighing, she approached the door and gently tapped on it.

"Go away," Buggy growled from the other side. "Spread your wings and fly to your death—don't get me involved!"

"I need my stuff," she called back before pushing the door open, not bothering for him to get around to it. The door came crashing into Buggy, throwing him against the wall.

"Ow, ow, ow," he cried out, hand clutching his nose as he followed after her down the hallway. "Watch it—you could have broken my nose!"

"Nothing can break that big thing," she muttered under breath, laughing when he squealed out louder than ever before.

He took a swing at her back, to which she dodged by entering her room. "_DID YOU JUST CALL ME __**BIG NOSE**__?_" he screamed, turning sharply to follow her in. When he went to throw another attack at her, he stopped when she turned his way, offering him a weak stare.

"Buggy," she began, softly, "can I ask a favor of you?" She clutched her duffle bag tightly against her chest.

His brows furrowed, clearly annoyed. "You want _too _much," he groaned before sighing and nodding. "What?"

Swallowing, she answered, "I still expect letters from my family, but I can't have them arriving at Crocodile's mansion…do you think you can hold onto them for me until I come around to pick them up?" Her tone was a pleading one because she knew he was her only safe method of communication with Ace. "Please?"

The clown took a moment to think it over, clearly confused as to why she would need him to do such a thing. Shrugging, he nodded. "I guess," he said. "I don't see the problem in that—but, you _got_ to promise me you'll keep me out of trouble with that guy, alright?"

Luffy nodded, happy with his understanding. Throwing him a quick grin, she jokingly said, "If I do end up robbing him, I'll give you some of the profit—I'm sure he has a ton hidden in that mansion."

Buggy—who first expressed a look of sternness—slowly widened his eyes, lips twitching into a smile. "Since you mentioned it, how much do you think he has?" His tone was shady, as if he were already formulating a plan.

Luffy shrugged. "Only Crocodile knows—maybe you can ask him?" She laughed when the clown shoved her aside, grumbling something about her being a brat under his voice. "Alright, alright, I'm heading out now."

When she went for the door, Buggy called out, "If he ends up killing you, you can take that grave I made." He proceeded to laugh. "That'd teach you."

_How would that teach me anything if I were dead?_ Rolling her eyes, she decided not to comment on his remark, pushing the door open and sighing as she took her first step towards the mansion. _Here I go: right back to the pit._

* * *

It was well into the afternoon by the time she made it back to the mansion, her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat and her claves sore from all the walking. Taking a deep breath, she threw her duffel bag over her shoulder before turning to walk up the small path leading to the brass gates.

Upon approaching them, she noticed they were locked. Her fingertips ran up one of the poles and her eyes glanced about, looking for anybody who could let her in.

It turned out to be a twelve minute wait before anybody happened to show up, and unfortunately for Luffy, it was Daz—and his grim expression. When he saw her, he stood at his spot for a moment, arms crossing. He appeared to be thinking something over.

Clearing her throat, she called out his name before offering him a wave. "Hey!" she added with a weak smile. "Can you let me in?"

Daz slightly tilted his head and glanced behind him, to the sides of him, and then directly at her. Cracking his knuckles, he went towards the gate, stopping just two feet in front of her. "What do you want?" His tone was dull—tired even.

"In," she answered, letting the word slowly roll off her tongue.

He laughed, almost as if he couldn't believe what she just said. "Seriously?" he asked, tone turning into one of amusement. "Are you _really_ trying to get back in?" When she didn't answer, Daz shook his head. "Listen here you little shit," he began, trying to force the laugher back. "You clearly don't realize how much you've fucked up, do you?"

"Uh…"

"No, stop," he firmly ordered, sniffing before glancing back towards the mansion. "In my twenty years of employment to the boss, I've only seen him _this_ pissed off a handful of times. And it's not like you betrayed him or anything like that—no, you embarrassed him, and if there is one thing you have to know about a man like Crocodile, it's that he doesn't take kindly to such things." Daz paused, uncrossing his arms and pressing his hands upon the gate. "What the hell did you do?"

Luffy threw her gaze aside, unsure of how to answer.

"You just up and leaving like that surely _can't _be the reason for his bad mood," Daz explained, eyes searching her face for an answer. "I just want to know what happened—did you fuck up with guests? Was that it? Say something embarrassing to that stupid pink bird? _What _was it?"

"I didn't do anything," she answered quietly. While that was literally the answer to his question, he didn't catch it, thinking that she meant she was not at fault to Crocodile's sour mood. "Come on, he can't be that mad."

Daz smirked, another laugh forcing its way past his lips. "You're…you're naïve, that's all I can say."

"Let me in, alright?" Luffy practically begged, beginning to feel annoyed. She wasn't expecting troubles until she got to Crocodile, but Daz was proving to be very difficult. "I have a good explanation for why I left last night."

He shook his head and tapped the gates twice before pulling away and turning around. "Wait there a moment; I'll go inform him of your…arrival."

Frowning, she glared at his back as he headed off towards the mansion, disappearing once he cut a corner near the drive. Pressing her forehead to the gates, she fluttered her eyes shut and thought of what she could possibly say to Crocodile to convince him to let her back in. _I can tell him I had a family emergency to tend to…but that doesn't really explain why I left last night…_Luffy huffed out in frustration. She was never a good liar and coming up with all these stories was difficult.

_He…he can't be that mad, can he?_

The gates opened then, causing her to jump back. With a frantic search, she caught Daz staring at her from the control panel, gesturing for her to approach him. "He'll see you," he simply stated, a tad hint of amusement in his tone.

With a weak smile, she followed Daz as he led her down an opposing path, towards the garage. "He's currently…_dealing_ with somebody else, but he will see to you right now." The garage door was held open for her, revealing an empty room of just simple tool boxes and a car—beaten and taken apart. "Down the steps over there," Daz said before closing the door behind her, with him outside.

Folding her hands together, she slowly went over to the far end of the room, blinking when she found the staircase leading down to the lower level. It was dark down there, with a dim orange light flickering. Sniffing, she held her breath and scurried down, glancing about when she reached the last step.

She walked into the middle of a rather terrifying scene.

A man—whom she had no recollection of—was tied to a chair, arms bound to the back and ankles tied to the legs of the chair. His face was covered in bruises and a mixture of fresh and dried blood, eyes closed and mouth hanging ajar. Crocodile stood before him, sleeves rolled up and hair slicked back.

Luffy swallowed hard, eyes flicking back and forth between the man tied up and Crocodile, mind processing exactly what was happening before her. Her duffel bag fell lightly from her grip to the floor.

Flexing his fist, Crocodile brought it in harshly into the man's gut, earning a loud miserable cry. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his hand back and smirked softly. "This man you see before you—he was supposed to be here yesterday, but he failed me." He paused to turn towards the table behind him, covered with a wide arrange of tools. He took to a pair of pliers, turning back around to circle to the back of the chair. "He disappointed me," he continued, not giving her a single glance, "and I don't take well to disappointment."

Luffy watched in horror as he took to one of the man's fingers, squeezing down with the plier and sharply pulling up. The sound of muscle and joint ripping filled the room, followed by an even louder piercing scream. The finger hung oddly from the hand.

Crocodile sent her a odd stare. "You disappointed me as well."

When the man went to mutter something, Crocodile knocked the tool to the side of his head, leaving him unconscious. He turned his attention back to Luffy and began to walk over to her, to which she quickly backed up—stopping when she found herself backed up to wall.

"W-wait," she managed to spit up, wincing when he slammed the pliers near the side of her skull upon the wall. He was close, expression hard and jaw clenched hard. "I…I…"

"You left," he answered for her. "You left _without_ permission, slinking off into the night like the trash you are." He paused, eyes searching hers. "And yet you return? Did you realize your mistake, hmm?" His tone grew in anger. "Or did you _miss_ the comforts of _my_ mansion?"

Luffy quickly shook her head _no_, hands pressed firmly against the wall to each side of her, nails digging into the stone. "I…I, uh, had to go." She took in a shaky breath, mentally trying to calm herself so she could properly tell her lie, make it believable. "There…there was an emergency with my brother, and…and I had to go."

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked, voice slightly softer, as if curious with her statement.

"It's the truth," she objected weakly. "I…" She stopped when he pressed the pliers to her cheek, its icy kiss sending shivers down her back.

"You have such a pretty face," he told her quietly. "A shame it would be if something happened to it."

The look he sent her was the same he sent that man when attacking him.

Luffy spat up the only thing she thought that would save her. "I was going to go to you last night—I swear I was…but my brother, _sir_, I had to go for only that night." His expression changed, morphing into one of surprise. When he didn't say anything, she took the opportunity to continue the lie. "I…_wanted_ to go to you last night, but…but…"

Crocodile pulled the pliers away from her cheek and his eyes softened as he looked to her. "Is that so?" he asked, voice calm. "Was that your original intentions?"

She nodded quickly.

Tilting his head slightly, he sent her a coy smirk. "Then why don't I believe you?"

He seemed to want to believe her, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. She had to act fast, knowing that she was on the verge of convincing him. _Just do it_, her mind screamed at her and with a quick breath of air, she shot her hands up to both sides of his face and pulled him in for a kiss.

While he showed resistance at first, he stopped the moment their lips connected, allowing her to lead. It was awkward for her since she knew little of how such things worked, but she tried her best to mimic the movements he made with his mouth days ago. It was long and hard and strange, but she knew she won the moment the pliers fell from his hand so he could cup the side of her face. Blood from the man tied up smeared from his fingers and across her cheek.

He slowly began to take the lead from her, moving her lips apart with his own to invade her with his tongue. The taste of cigar took to her and she felt weak when he began to push his body against hers—pinning her harder against the wall. His hand fell from her face, traveling down her body—pressing down her chest and stomach and across her pants to caress her hip.

He pulled away from the kiss, revealing hungry eyes. "Bold," he said in a soft huff, hand slinking back up to her waist. "You've grown bolder." He smirked, obviously pleased.

A moan came to life from the back of the room, causing Crocodile to cast a dull gaze over his shoulder. He sighed, pulling himself completely away from her so he could face the man tied up. "I need to continue teaching this one a lesson," he said calmly. "Go back to the mansion and start your chores." He cocked a look back to her, a thin smile forming. "I'll be expecting you tonight."

Luffy sent a fearful look at the man tied up and nodded, quickly picking up her bag and twirling around so she could scurry up the steps.

While she managed to save herself from Crocodile's wrath, she also happened to dig herself into a deeper hole when it came to his…_desires_. Frowning, Luffy cursed herself and her luck and pushed the garage door open, revealing one surprised Daz.

Taking a step back, he quickly scratched the top of his head before muttering, "You're alive?"

Luffy nodded. "Sure am," she answered, "_and_ I got my job back." With that, she pushed past the stunned driver and headed straight for the mansion. She had one hell of a night to prepare for.

* * *

The chef gave her a surprised look, dropping his bowl gently upon the counter and taking a step towards her. "Where have you've been all day?" he asked, voice adding to his excitement.

"Out," she answered. "I…had to run some errors."

Sanji nodded slowly before shrugging. "You're lucky," he began. "You weren't here to experience the master's bad mood this morning—and let me tell you, it was rough. He snapped at everybody and everything…I wonder what gives."

Luffy gave a stiff nod, pushing past him to examine the platter of cookies—fresh and strong of sweet smells. "I'm sure he'll get over it soon." Picking up one of the cookies, she took a quick nibble and smiled at the explosion of flavors happening in her mouth, washing away the lingering taste of cigar.

Leaning into the counter, Sanji reached out for a cookie. "Maybe something happened yesterday with Doflamingo. Everything seemed to go smoothly during dinner, though." With a shrug, he decided to let the curiosity die. "Anyway, did you happen to see that beauty yesterday?" His eyes practically gleamed then.

"Who?" she questioned.

"_Viola!_" The name rolled off his tongue easily, as if he had spoken it hundreds of times before. "I managed to sneak a peek at her while you were serving the food—oh, she is the very image of beauty." Pausing, he offered Luffy a weak smile. "As well as you," he added, as not to offend her.

Luffy nodded. "She was really pretty—have you ever talked to her?"

Sanji shook his head with wide eyes. "I could never," he explained. "Somebody of my status…and somebody of _her_ status? I'm not worthy!" He fluttered aside weakly, dramatically so. "But I can still sneak looks her way~"

Taking another cookie, Luffy sent him a weak smile. "Well, you never know…" Trailing off, she thought of Crocodile. "You might be surprised by people of that status." Sanji gave her a shrug and they spent the rest of their afternoon dining on cookies and chatting of simple things.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Luffy goes to Crocodile's room. Smut train returns to station. Next update in about three to four days.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Fan:** Oh, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Luffy will definitely get involved with a ton of what's going on, but I won't say if she'll solve anything or not; I'll keep what she's able to do a surprise. The idea I have for Zoro will have them teaming up a lot, but that's farther down the plotline. Haha, I'll try not to do from school! Thanks!

**Cereza101:** Haha, me too! I think they can have a healthy balance of serious and hilarious scenes. :3 Thanks!

**Rodessalorenzo:** Well, in regards to what Crocodile/Doflamingo/etc. do as mobsters is drug related, as well as other factors. I would imagine that tensions would rise between clans/mobs because of trade routes/territory/etc. And yeah, totally assassinations and killing sprees; when a mob is angry with another mob, fights are going to go down. : ) Thanks!

**Yuki Rivaille: **Aw, thank you! I hope you're doing well! Thanks for the love and take care! Xoxo much love! :3


	12. Skin

**Warning: *ChooChoo* The smut train has officially pulled into station. When you see the "oOoOo" know that you are boarding the train and entering M rated territory. If you wish not to board said train, skip over the material until you see the second "oOoOo" which implies that the smut train has left the station and you are safe in T rated territory.**

**To Serve at his Command|** Skin

Luffy sat on the edge of her cot.

The day had come and went, and outside the world was engulfed in a blanket of night skies, pretty little sparkles dancing across to illuminate the sleepy cities below. Typically, this would be about the time she got ready for bed—yet, now, sitting there in the eerie silence, she had one more _chore_ to attend to.

Digging her fingers into the cot to both sides of her, she slowly glanced over to her door, wondering _how_ exactly she would do this. _Does he want me to just go up there to his room? Should I wait a bit longer? Or am I late?_ The questions were burning a hole in her skull, yet, at the same time, allowed her to avoid the thoughts of what would happen _after_ she arrived in his room.

Of course she had thought about her first time many times before, fantasizing about a young handsome man asking for her hand in marriage and whisking her away. Other times, she would dream that it was _her_ that found her special other, striking up an odd romance. Luffy was by far no lady and had no power to her family's name, so she never expected to land a rich potential husband or lover, yet here she was, just about ready to slink off into Crocodile's room—a man beyond anything she'd ever imagine doing _that_ with.

And there was the fact that he was _much_ older than her—nothing too alarming, but enough to surprise even herself. Yes, she knew girls her age from upper class families were more than likely to marry off to older men such as Crocodile, but again, she was of no such status. So she had to wonder, _why her?_ How could somebody like Crocodile find interest in her—a person with not a penny to her name?

Frowning, Luffy threw her gaze across the room, eyes landing upon the box of clothing still left in the corner. Bringing her hand against her neck, she thought of words spoken to her. _He said I was pretty…?_ She only ever thought herself to be ordinary, but more than one occasion he had given her compliments. It confused her. How could a man who could easily torture a fellow human being show her that type of affection? And was what he was doing _even_ considered affection at all?

_Who is this man and what is he capable of?_

More importantly: what was Luffy about to walk into? She had a vague idea of what to expect—intercourse, that much was obvious. She knew little of _how_ it worked, only bits and pieces she overheard from the others working for Buggy—and from that, it seemed like it was an enjoyable act; however, she couldn't help but feel…scared? Nervous? _Curious?_

And for a moment, perhaps even excited.

Of course, she was still taken aback from their previous sexual encounter days ago—something she still thought was rather indecent of him to do. And now, as she can only assume, he was planning to go farther—the entire way in fact. The problem she found herself facing, however, was she didn't feel any of that anger she did before—almost as if the other day didn't happen at all.

But it did, and she couldn't piece together as to why she was feeling almost giddy at that moment. Was it because he was showing interest in her in _that_ way, when no other man did? Was it because he was so forward with his wants and words and caresses and—Luffy sighed, deciding there was no point in trying to figure it—_him_—out anymore. _The longer I wait in here, the more likely he is to return to his sour mood._ Swallowing, she pushed herself up and stood there for a moment, glancing between the door and the box.

_I suppose he'll want me to wear that._ Luffy turned red upon remembering the skimpy little bed gown and how _transparent_ it was waist-up. The mere thought of her wearing that made her heart pound.

With a grim expression, she took to the box, tossing it open upon her cot and glaring down hard at the thin fabric. She undid her uniform slowly, breathing softly as she peeled back her undergarments. For a spilt second she shivered from standing nude in that cold room. She quickly grabbed the gown and slipped it on, realizing that it didn't help much.

But, it did feel _nice_ against her skin, made of soft fine material and fitted just right.

Her fingertips brushed out the skirt portion, tugging it down as far as it could go—ending upper thigh. With a deep breath, she turned to face the full length mirror, eyes going wide at the sight of her. She could see _everything_ waist up.

Her first instinct was just to rip it off and hide under her covers, but she had to fight the urge back.

Turning around, she quickly took the robe and slipped it on, feeling a bit better at how thick the material was, and more importantly, how much it cover her. Looping the sash, she slipped her feet into a pair of simple work slippers and with shaky hands, went for the door.

_This is it._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Since it was late, the walk up to his room wasn't as bad as she first imagined. There was not a single soul in sight—most likely all the servants were already in bed or preparing for such. It felt odd to be walking around the mansion at that hour, dressed like _that._

With silent feet, she scurried down the upper hallway towards his room, occasionally glancing about as to make sure nobody saw her. Upon reaching her destination, she took a moment to calm her breathing and fluttering heart, fingers tracing the door before her. Nodding, she made a firm fist and knocked—not too loud, yet, not too quiet.

It took a moment, but the door was pulled open enough for her to quickly slip in. Luffy found herself leaning back against the door as it was shut, eyes searching the thin smirk before her.

Crocodile gave her a slow once over before giving one nod of approval. "You came," he commented, hand reaching out to touch her robe. He felt the fabric between his fingers. "I half expected you to run off again."

Luffy shook her head _no_, silently watching him with wide eyes. If it not were for his curtains being drawn back, the room would have been pitched black, which, thankfully, made the situation much more bearable.

Pulling his hand away from her robe, he turned to move over to his desk. Luffy watched as he took an already lit cigar from an ashtray, breathe in some, and then smash it out in the tray. The smoke traveled from his mouth as he turned back to look her way, a pleased smile on his face. "Come here," he ordered as he offered his hand to her.

Her gaze flicked over to his hand, watching as it hovered in the darkness. Glancing back to him, she took in his relaxed posture—wearing a different dress shirt than before, with sleeves rolled up, vest hanging open, and tieless. Swallowing, Luffy slowly took a step towards him, hand hesitantly reaching up to take his.

Crocodile's fingers wrapped gently around her own as he pulled her in to him, his handless arm wrapping around her waist. His hand placed hers on his shoulder before leaving to caress the side of her cheek, forcing her to look up at him when she tried to glance away.

"I'm glad you came," he spoke, voice soft and intimate. His piercing stare searched hers for a long moment before he lowered his face down to hers, continuing the kiss they had shared earlier that day.

His arm had brought her body in closer to his and his fingers were running through her hair, occasionally gripping down and tugging on a few locks. The taste of cigar was back in her mouth once more and she could feel the tension of his muscles in his abdomen.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled away a foot to start shrugging off his vest. "Take off your robe," he said before working on the buttons of his shirt. "I want to see."

Her skin prickled in a sea of goosebumps as she nodded once, fingers slowly reaching down towards the sash. Turning aside awkwardly, she pulled the robe off her shoulders and shivered from the sudden coldness of the room attacking her. On instinct, her arms crossed over her chest to cover herself from his probing gaze. Weakly, she glanced over to his direction.

Crocodile was undressed the waist up, hard muscles seeming almost godly and untouchable in the moonlight. It was his stare, however, that really caught her attention. The way he looked at her—as if she were some exotic creature—made her cheeks warm up.

When he took a step towards her, her body stiffened, arms tightening across her chest. He placed his hand upon her right forearm, tugging it away to her side, eyes never leaving hers. "Show me," he whispered.

Arching her brows, Luffy removed her other arm away from her chest, feeling her heart pound as more and more of her was exposed before him. Certain parts of her prickled—even _hardened_—and she couldn't tell if it was because she was nervous, fearful, or something entirely else.

His fingers traced the nape of her neck, dipping down her clavicle before stopping at one of the green ribbons of the gown. He rubbed it for a second between his index finger and thumb, and a smile came to him. "Seeing you like this makes me want to forgive you entirely for what you did last night—or, well, what you _didn't_ do, that is."

Luffy's mouth slightly opened as she went to respond, but stopped when he took her hand into his own, leading her to the bed. Her legs felt stiff, but she followed, breathing increasing when he laid her down.

Crocodile's gaze searched her body as he got on top of her, still clothed in his dress pants. The fabric felt rough against her thigh as he kneed her legs apart, hand leading her own above her head. "Relax," he cooed, slipping his hand back down the side of her neck, down her clavicle, and stopping just above her chest. "That's all I'll want from you tonight—just _relax_."

Luffy gave a weak nod, swallowing as her gaze traveled past him towards the ceiling, eyes widening when she felt his hand linger _down_. Her left breast was cupped and pushed up slightly, his thumb running gently across the fabric towards the center. Luffy found herself biting down hard on her bottom lip as his thumb circled her areola, the friction from the fabric causing her nipple to stiffen.

Tilting her head to the side of the pillow, she brought her hand up quickly to press down upon his, trying to stop him from doing _that_. What he was doing made her embarrassed, but the reaction her body had given was worse.

Crocodile took her wrist and returned it back to its position above her head and pillow, adding in a soft "_no_" against the crook of her jaw. He left his lips on her neck as he returned his hand to her breast, not needing to see to know what he was doing. He palmed her fleshy mound for a few more seconds before pushing his hand under the fabric, finally coming in direct contract with her skin.

He took most of her breast in his hand, cupping it—_squeezing_ it. The gown strap easily fell then off her left shoulder, leaving more of her chest available to him. Her brows furrowed when she felt his lips dip down her neck, a soft whimper hiding in her throat.

As he made his ascent, Luffy brought her other hand to the back of his head, fingers gently weaving into his raven hair. Oddly, she felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth when he removed his hand only to take the hardened bud in his mouth, hot and wet. Her eyes remained shut as she took in all the new sensations, brain processing—trying to figure out what was right and what was wrong.

While she knew it _should_ have felt wrong, it—strangely—felt _nice_.

Luffy's mouth opened slightly when she felt his hand move up her thigh, caressing the soft flesh as he went. Warmth built up between her legs—confusing her but also enchanting her, a strange mixture of emotions boiling in her gut. Gasping softly, she stiffened a tad bit when his fingers returned back to place they had been days prior.

He was more willing this time around, more adventurous as he ran his finger up her slit, stopping to press down against her clitoris. His tongue traced her nipple and his finger worked her center, making it hard for her to choose which body part to focus on. When he slipped a digit in, she didn't notice.

When he pushed in another, she did.

A pinch of pain came to life between her legs, causing her to open her eyes, throwing a worried glance downwards. It was a strange sensation, almost stretching, and Luffy wasn't sure if everything was alright. When she tightened her fingers through his hair, Crocodile removed his mouth from her breast to look up her way.

"It'll help for later," he informed her, pushing his fingers in further and causing a low whine to escape her.

It hurt the further he went and she couldn't help but form a pained expression.

Slowing down his movements, he offered her a concerned look, eyes searching hers. "It will hurt more if I don't do this," he whispered, pressing his lips to her jaw after and causing her hand to fall across his shoulder. "Relax."

Frowning slightly, she nodded and tried to focus on his mouth rather than what his fingers were doing, no matter how far the pain grew. While she didn't find it unbearable, she also didn't find it pleasing. The last time he took her that way, she felt a strange yet nice sensation—but this time, there was only a dull throb.

After a moment of that, Crocodile pulled his hand out from between her legs, pushing himself up along the way. She watched with curious eyes as he went to undo the button of his pants, his only fingers working together to complete the task. As her breathing began to calm, she leaned forward, her own hands moving to his.

Luffy—with her eyes glued to his—helped him undo his pants. She grew hesitant as it fell from his hips, his boxers the only thing left covering him. He pushed her back down on the bed, shifting to pull off his pants from around his calves. When he took off his last garment, she couldn't help but look—the first time she ever saw _that._

She could feel her heart pounding between her legs and when he got back on top of her, she felt her body begin to shake.

In silence, Crocodile took ahold of the hem of her gown, pulling it up and off of her. She went to cover herself, but stopped midway, allowing her hands to fall to her sides. Her thighs were pulled apart and his waist dipped in between. She could feel _him_ against her, pressing hard against her inner thigh.

His hand went to her cheek, thumb brushing out across her lips. "Breathe," he tenderly ordered before slipping his hand back down between their bodies. His body shifted against hers as he positioned his member to her opening, pressing forward only slightly.

His eyes darted to hers, as if to calm her. When he began to enter her, Luffy was hit with another wave of uncomfortable pressure, eyes snapping shut at the invasion. He didn't stop, and as more of him pushed forward, more pain came to her.

She wanted to cry then, beg him to slow down and wait—maybe even ask him to hold off for another day, but when she reopened her eyes, she was met with his mouth upon hers. Crocodile pushed forward, breaking whatever resistance there was down there in one swift movement and causing her to grab onto him for dear life.

For a moment, he held still, mouth muffling her pained whines and hand holding her hip tightly. Luffy could feel her muscles contracting around him, searching that foreign object and throbbing all the while. Her nails dug into his shoulder and back. She felt hurt—_stretched_—broken, and when he pulled his mouth away from hers, she allowed a whimper to crawl out from her throat.

"The worst is over," he told her, body still pinning her to the bed. He wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, fingers lingering in her hair. "You need to relax."

With hot breath and a red face, Luffy tried her best to ease her muscles into relaxation; her nails retracting from his flesh, her legs starting to unstiffen, and her breathing starting to slow. Yet, her core kept tight around his. Swallowing, she glanced up into his eyes and nodded once. "Okay," she managed to whisper.

When he moved, she buried her forehead into the crook of his next, fighting back the urge to cry. She never realized how painful such an act could be, and she couldn't believe how people could enjoy doing such a thing if it felt _that_ bad. He pulled back—slow and steady—and she felt something slick begin to run down her thigh.

His hand kept to her hip and he pushed forward, slightly faster and deeper than before. Then he'd pull out, stopping when most of his member had left her before pushing back in. As he continued those movements, his hand slipped down the side of her hip, grabbing her under thigh and lifting her leg up around his waist.

Crocodile's speed continued increasing and whatever pattern he once had had morphed into a sloppy rhythm. The muscles in his back tensed under her fingertips, his body growing hot against her own.

Luffy could hear his breath grow heavy against her ear, matching hers. The painful sensation had started to numb to a dull throb and a new—yet familiar—feeling began to build. It was weak, but there, and she found herself focusing directly on it.

As it grew, the pain died down and after a few minutes of that dance, she felt the pressure—the _good_ one—take over. It was there, just waiting to break free as it did days ago, and Luffy found her arms tightening around Crocodile even more. She _wanted _to feel it again, that sensation.

His voice broke through her deep thoughts, bringing her back to reality. "Are you almost there?" he asked, tone—surprisingly—almost weak. When she pulled her face away from his neck to look up at him, she caught a look of frustration cross his face, brows lowering and mouth ajar to release a low groan.

His mouth fell to the nape of her neck, breath heavy against her skin. "I'm almost…" he began, only to trail off as another groan escaped him. His hand slid down her stomach, stopping at that sensitive nerve between her legs. He circled it, causing the pressure within her to increase rapidly.

Luffy began to match his strange noises with her own mewls, gasping out when his thrusts became hard and short. And then it happened, hard and fast. She came first, head snapping back against the pillow as she felt waves of explosions inside her trigger, muscles clamping down tightly around Crocodile.

"_**Ah**_," she cried out, weak—hard—pleading.

He matched her cry, calling out her name before pulling out completely. Something hot struck her inner thigh and Crocodile's forehead was pressed firmly upon her shoulder, teeth biting down on her flesh—not enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a mark. They kept like that for a good minute, breathing heavy while soaking in each other's releases.

Crocodile fell to her side, yet she remained in the same position—legs spread apart, barely bent, and hands lying to both sides of her face. After a moment, she titled her head towards him, watching as he stared up at the ceiling, breathing coming to a nice steady pace.

He turned and reached out for a pillow, tucking it under his head, and after taking a second to form a thin smile, he met her gaze. His arm rose and he simply said, "Come here."

Luffy turned towards him on her side, legs folding together and causing a dull throb deep inside. She winced before gently resting her arm across his chest, head falling into the crook of his neck.

His hand—covered in blood, _her_ blood—rested upon her waist, fingers tracing her skin absentmindedly.

A few minutes passed before any of them decided to speak. "You said my name," Luffy commented quietly.

Crocodile—whose eyes were shut—titled his head her way slightly before muttering out, "Hmm?" His tired voice hinted that he was drifting off.

"At the end," she continued as she too closed her eyes, "you said my name."

He took a moment, as if processing her statement. "_And?_"

Luffy felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth, but she forced it back. "It's the first time you ever addressed me as such."

His head tilted towards her completely, the side of his crown resting on top of hers. "I prefer little thief," he retorted softly.

She felt his chest rise from a deep breath.

"You'll need to leave before dawn," he informed her. "The other servants might get the wrong idea if they catch you slinking away from my bedroom dressed like that…" When she went to get up because she assumed he meant for her to leave at that moment, his arm kept her tight against him. "Not now," he murmured, just on the verge of sleep. "Later…stay…for now…"

Luffy did as he commanded.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

Luffy awoke to darkness, body _beyond_ sore and very warm from the person beneath her. She had no clue as to how long she had slept for, but after casting one glance out towards the window, she frowned as it appeared night was almost over.

Crocodile's hand fell to the bed as she slipped away from him, wincing as the pain between her legs protested at her every movement. Glancing down, she cocked a brow at the splotch of dried blood upon her thighs, along with something else—something white. When the sleeping man beside her stirred, she decided to move along, as not to wake him.

Getting off of the bed, she retrieved the two discarded garments and slipped them on, looping the robe sash around her tightly. With achy legs, she slipped out of his bed chambers and into the darkness of the mansion, heading straight for her own room.

It would only be a couple of hours before she had to get ready for a new day, full of chores and tasks and most importantly, opportunities for her to sneak around for information. Ace was counting on her and she swore to herself that she would not fail him.

No matter the costs.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** A visit with Iceberg, discussions about teaming up with the Doflamingo clan, and other mobster stuff &amp; Law shows up &amp; stuff.

* * *

**A/N:** In the first half of the chapter, I tried to make Luffy sound naïve in her thought process as to _why _Crocodile would show interest in her, instead of realizing it might be _just _sex for him. I hope that came across clearly. And I also made Crocodile like a gentle/tender lover because it's luffy's first time and he doesn't want to terrify her but don't think he's not into kinky stuff because he is. Ok bye I hope you liked da smut and I'm sorry if it is bad because it is my first time writing a full smut scene like ok bye for reals now :3

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Oh, well, I hope this chapter was a, uh, good read hurhurhur. : ) Yes, tension will arise, eventually, between those three, but that may be farther down the line. Other problems will happen first, though, if I continue as planned. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**IMadeThisUp:** Yesh, Luffy is a good sister, although, I don't think Ace would like the fact on how _far_ she's willing to go. And I'm with you—I'd be all over Crocodile as well without there being any secret incentives. YOUR TICKET IS ALWAYS VALID! *CHOOCHOO* 4EVER 4 U! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Anon:** fufufufu indeed! I'm sorry for the long wait—I'll try to spit out as many chapters as I can during my weekends. Thanks for the compliments and reading!

**BatmandSwim2016:** Haha, I didn't even realize that I updated twice in the span of 24 hours. I'm just super pumped about this story, so I might get carried away at times, haha. Thank you so much for the kind words!

**Guest: **:O! Your first fanfic you say?! Oh my, I'm so honored that you chose my story to read, and that you're enjoying it! I hope you stick around for the rest of it and don't be a stranger to the rest of the stories found on the one piece side of fanfiction! There are a ton of wonderful writers/stories out there! Law is—eventually—going to have a big, perhaps even, at a point, one of the biggest roles in this story. And it's so cool that you want to become a surgeon! As a fellow medical major, I wish you all the luck down that road! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Mingo:** Haha, yes, Ace would most likely go crazy if he ever found out Luffy was doing such a thing. *Hands over ticket* xD Thank you so much for the reviews!

**Anon:** aw, thanks! I was going to wait to update til later tonight after class, but I might as well throw this out here now. Thanks for the support! :D


	13. Healing

**To Serve at his Command|** Healing

Standing before her mirror, Luffy tucked a lock of wet hair behind her ear. Her gaze fell to her bare shoulder, taking in the small bruises that formed teeth marks, reminding her of the night before. Slowly, she reached out to run her fingertips along the welts before pulling her collar up to conceal them.

After buttoning up the bust portion of her uniform, she slid her hands down to flatten out her skirt, frowning when she felt a dull throb in her pelvic region. Even after washing herself, she found fresh blood upon her thigh—not as much as originally, but enough to leave her slightly worried.

Her gaze flicked back up to her reflection in the mirror, taking in the confused expression looking back at her. While she was the same person, she looked—_felt_—different than before, but couldn't quite put her finger on why. Swallowing, she quickly twirled around, eyes taking in the corner of a box under her cot, containing the two garments Crocodile had bought her.

She approached the box before sliding it further under her bed with her foot, as if to hide it from the world. Now that she had worn them, she felt an urge to keep them concealed from any other person, as if embarrassed of anybody finding out of what she did with her employer.

After, she left her room, walking down the still dark hallway towards Tsuru's room—it was routine that they meet in the morning before starting any of the chores. Knocking gently on the door, she smiled softly when she heard the old woman shuffling around inside. When it opened, a pair of tired eyes met hers, heavy brows arching barely. "You're awake already?" Tsuru asked, voice still sleepy.

"Yes, ma'am," Luffy answered, hands folded before her stomach. "I woke up early this morning…I can start with the chores if you're still getting ready."

The old maid nodded once, throwing a glance past Luffy's shoulder before stating, "Very well. Today you will start with the usual: tend to the young master's breakfast, dressing, and such—but after, I was informed that you are to accompany the master in his outings. I'll tend to the other chores while you are out."

And with that, Tsuru dismissed her. Once the door was closed, Luffy turned around to head up the stairs, thighs aching with every step. A frown came to her then, clearly not happy with the arrangements for that day. _I have to go out with him today, which means I can't snoop around for information._ She found herself pouting then, angry that she had to wait to help Ace.

Luffy continued her travels to the kitchen, smiling on instinct at the smell of smoky sausages and freshly cut fruit. Sanji was practically dancing as he bounced from one counter to the other, obviously in a cheerful mood.

"Morning, morning," he sang sweetly, tossing some of the sausages onto a platter. "Big order this morning," he added. "Boss is _hungry_. Ordered a lot."

"He's already awake?" she questioned as she took a seat, fingers reaching out for a biscuit. The bread was flaky soft as she bit into it, a mixture of spices deep inside trickling down her tongue. Running the back of her palm across the corner of her mouth, Luffy smiled before adding, "This is delicious."

Nodding, the chef turned around to slap on another pile of sausages upon the platter. His gaze widened slightly when he looked her way, almost taken aback in a sense. "You look…" he began softly, "…_good_ this morning, well rested. Have a good night or something?"

She practically chocked on her last bite of biscuit, eyes growing wide in fear at the thought of him knowing what she did. "W-what?" she muttered weakly, shaking her hand quickly to dismiss his question. "No…no, last night was like any other night—_normal._"

Smirking at the scene, Sanji shrugged before turning back around. "Alright, just asking," he responded. Pausing for a moment, he nodded and added, "That should be it."

Picking up the platter—aligned with sausages, sliced peaches, biscuits, a cup of black coffee, and a small portion of scrambled eggs—Luffy offered him a small smile. She quickly took the morning paper folded up upon a counter and turned around, heading out of the kitchen and straight for Crocodile's room.

* * *

He sat upon the edge of his bed wearing nothing but his boxer undergarments and a towel around his neck, hair as wet as hers from his own bath. Luffy placed the platter gently upon the bedside table before him, propping the paper up against the wall beside the food. Taking a step back, she flicked her gaze over to him, to see if he required anything else.

Smirking, he gestured for her to sit beside him before reaching out to grab the plate of peaches. The covers were still sprawled apart as she left them in the early morning and she couldn't help but catch a pink stain on one of the white ones. Her cheeks grew red then, realizing _exactly_ what that spot was.

"Sit," he verbally ordered, earning her attention. When she did as such—making sure to keep about a foot away from him—he offered her a peach slice. Hesitantly, she took one and nibbled on it silently.

Placing the plate down upon her lap, he went to reach out for the paper, unfolding it as his eyes glazed over the bolded heading. A smile came to him, prompting her too to glance at the headline. _Heavyweight champ winner… _"It seems I placed a _good_ bet," he stated then, turning the page to read on. "I'll have to go collect my winnings today."

Once finished with the first few pages of the paper, he tossed it beside him and went for the biscuits, peeling back the top layer to eat. His head turned her way and he offered her a bare expression. "Eat," he ordered, eyes falling down to the peaches on her lap, "you _must_ be hungry."

Blinking, Luffy mouthed a quick "_oh"_ before moving her gaze down to the plate upon her. She took another slice and ate it, wiping a droplet of juice off her lower lip. When she caught him sending her a coy stare, she glanced away.

After she ate the last slice, he took the plate from her, tossing it aside upon the platter. "Dry my hair for me," he ordered before grabbing the paper once more. When she went to move, he quickly added, "_Without_ your shoes on; you've already damaged my bedsheet enough as it as."

Luffy felt her mouth open slightly, eyes widening and body tensing, embarrassment sinking in even farther. Biting down on her inner cheek, she had no idea how to respond.

Sighing, Crocodile shook his head before offering her a sympathetic expression. "Stop with that face," he began. "It couldn't have been helped. " He paused, as if searching for the next words to say. With a deep breath of air, he reached his hand out to cup her cheek, running his fingers across it briefly before pinching her chin. "That is just the result of me making you a woman." He left it at that, hand returning back down to his paper.

Frowning slightly, Luffy slipped her feet out of her shoes and scurried around him to sit behind his back, hands reaching out to grab each end of the towel. She brought the white fabric up and over his head, patting it down softly upon his hair.

They spent the rest of his breakfast like that, with him reading and eating silently and her drying his hair gently. Once he finished, he reached up to grab the towel away from her, tossing it aside. His body turned and his arm took to her waist, pulling her down flat on the bed sideways, him still sitting on the edge of the bed, but leaning over her.

Luffy's hand kept to his forearm, eyes searching his—unsure of what he wanted. A lock of his hair tumbled down across his face and a short-lived smirk came to life under his scar.

"Did you enjoy last night?" he asked, arching a brow. His fingers tapped along the curve of her upper waist and his thumb pressed down at the indention of her rib cage.

Luffy wasn't quite sure how to _exactly_ explain how she felt about the night before, but she offered him a nod to please him. He seemed to have liked her answer because he offered her a thin smile before pushing his hand up her bust.

"Would you like another taste?" he questioned then, voice soft as he began to lean in more towards her. His hand gave her breast a gentle squeeze.

Shaking her head, she felt the pain between her legs grow. "No," she muttered when his hand began to move down her body. With arched brows, she met his confused stare. "It hurts," she added weakly. "I think something is wrong."

Crocodile held still for a moment, processing what she said. With a defeated sigh, he pulled away, hand resting on her knee. "Nothing's wrong," he explained, voice growing dull—almost annoyed, but his expression towards her was that of understanding. "You just need to heal for a day or so…" Frowning slightly, he glanced away, broad shoulders rising as he took a deep breath. "Get up then and help me dress—we have a lot to do today."

* * *

Daz eyed her hard as she followed Crocodile down the smooth stone pathway towards the car, carrying a rather heavy suitcase along the way. She had no clue what was inside, only that her employer ordered her to watch over it carefully. The driver had his arms cross but undid them to open the door for the master, cocking a brow when she timidly glanced about.

"Get in," Crocodile dryly called out from within the car when she went for the servants seats in the back.

Stopping, she threw her gaze back and blinked, turning around completely and slipping past Daz to get into the car. She caught a look of confusion pass through the driver's eyes as she did so, but she decided not to pay him too much attention. Getting inside, she took to the seat beside Crocodile, feet crossing and hands folding together over her lap after placing the suitcase down.

The man already had a cigar lit, hanging loosely between his lips. When the engine roared, he slipped his arm over the back of the seat, hand hanging off and fingers barely grazing her shoulder. "To the bookies, first," he called out to Daz. The car took off down the drive, slow at first, but picking up speed as it neared the street. "I'm going to need you to bring that with you," Crocodile quietly spoke, causing her to snap her attention up to him. He was looking down at the suitcase, eyes slightly narrow. "What's inside is very important, so don't damage it."

"Yes, sir," she said with a determined nod. Curiosity struck her then, prompting her to wonder what was inside. _He said it was important…I wonder if it's some secrets? _She would have to sneak a peek the first chance she got.

Reaching around her shoulder and neck, he pulled the cigar from his lips and rested his hand back on the seat, the smoke from the brown stick closer to Luffy's nostrils that way. She flared her nose a bit at the smell, trying to adjust her breathing to handle such a strong scent. She couldn't help but clear her throat, fighting back the urge to cough.

Crocodile took notice to her actions, a smirk forming followed by low chuckle. When she heard him, she sent him a pout, arms crossing as she leaned away from the cigar and—accidently—into him. "Would you like to try?" he asked, seemingly not bothered by her invasive movement.

Luffy shook her head _no_.

He shrugged. "You had enough of trying new things for now, hmm?" He brought the cigar back to his mouth and when she went to pull away from him, his arm fell heavy over her shoulder to keep her in place. When Luffy only answered him with an annoyed stare, he went to toss the cigar out the window, offering her a rather amused one afterwards. "Better?"

Surprised, she made a slight shrug, body relaxing since she wasn't forced to breathe in the smoke anymore. The car ran over a pot hole, causing the wheels to bounce and shake the vehicle harshly, which ultimately caused her sore center to throb. She winced, brows furrowing at the pain.

Catching onto her expression, Crocodile arched a thin brow, lips forming a straight line. "Does it really hurt that much?" he questioned, voice curious and hinting at just a tad bit of concern. "Or are you just a big baby as well as a little thief?"

Luffy huffed at his comment, frowning heavily when she tried to pull away once more only to be stopped by his heavy arm over her. "I'm fine," she muttered, giving up on the struggle to fall back against the car seat.

"Well," he began, hand reaching up to finger a locket of her hair, "you should be ready for tonight then, if you're truly fine." When she sent a worried look up at him, he drew his index finger under her chin, forcing her to keep her stare to his. "I can wait a couple of days if you require it—I _am_ a patient man." Crocodile paused then, his expression softening. "As long as you promise yourself to me and only me, I will take care of you—wait for you if need be."

Glancing through the window first, she looked back to him before slowly commenting, "I don't understand why…"

He stopped her. "All you need to understand is that you're _mine_. Do that and _we'll _be at an understanding."

* * *

The car came to a halt before an alleyway, towards the back of the city limits—dark and gloomy and very, as Buggy would put it, _shady_. Hesitantly, Luffy hopped out of the car after Crocodile, clutching the suitcase tightly to her chest as she glanced around. When she caught her employer heading straight down the alley, she sent Daz a fearful look before scurrying off after him, making sure to keep by close.

The stone path beneath their feet was covered in morning dew—at least Luffy assumed it was that much, but the strong odor of piss made her think twice. There were no windows in the buildings to both side of them and there were a handful of doors here and there.

Frowning, Luffy glanced up at her employer, gasping softly before running into his back. She was met with a face of fur from the outline of his coat, and quickly pulled back, offering him an apologetic look when he glared down at her.

"Be careful," he ordered, voice hard. He proceeded to knock on the door he stopped before, sending her one last dull gaze, as if warning her to be on her best behavior. A small hatch upon the door slipped open, a pair of bitty eyes glaring out.

"Yeah?" a voice asked from inside. "What do ya want?"

Crocodile's gaze narrowed before he firmly stated, "I'm here to..." his voice grew softer, expression dulling as he muttered out the rest of his statement, "…tend to Aunt Lilly's needs."

The person from inside gave a grunt of a response before slamming the hatch shut and pulling the door open. "Welcome," the man inside greeted, expression grim as he glared over to Luffy. "Is she safe?"

Crocodile nodded before pushing past him, sending Luffy a gaze when she didn't follow after him. "Keep close," he told her, causing her to snap her attention from the greeter to him. She nodded once before quickly moving in after him, pressing the suitcase tighter against her chest.

They took to a narrow hallway, dimming lights upon the walls barely illuminating the path before them. Luffy had to keep close to Crocodile for if she fell behind too much, he would morph into the darkness. Swallowing, she timidly reached out for the edge of one of his coat arms, hoping he wouldn't notice. She didn't like it there.

After many twists and turns and flights down stairs, Crocodile finally lead them to their destination: a small room with one metal table and a handful of chairs. A man—face bruised and beaten, sat on the table, eyes hard on the two of them as they entered. From the corner of the room, Luffy caught a familiar face—legs crossed and a little mouse poking its head out of his suit pocket.

"Finally," Iceberg cheered, voice hinting at annoyance. "We waited long enough for you to show up, old man." His gaze fell on Luffy, lips forming a soft smile. "And you brought your maid, how nice. Corrupting the youth now, hmm?"

Crocodile didn't pay him any attention as he took to one of the other chairs. He motioned for Luffy to sit to the one beside him, to which she did, planting the suitcase down on her lap.

With a heavy breath of air, Crocodile looked to the man on the table. "You did good, throwing the fight like that—you'll reap the benefits soon enough."

The man nodded, arms crossing and revealing scabbed knuckles. "Better," he responded, voice hard. "Lost my dignity by doing this—but if you're good on your part, then it really doesn't matter."

Iceberg laughed softly from his corner of the room before sticking a finger out to pet his little mouse. "Money can truly buy anything," he observed, sending Luffy a sly smirk when she cocked a brow. "You'll learn that one day, dear." With a shrug, he got up and took a step towards her, hand reaching out for the suitcase. "I'll assume that's for me, yes?"

Crocodile slapped his hand away when Iceberg's fingers took to the suitcase handle, pushing the case back down on Luffy's lap. "First my share of the fight winnings," he coolly stated.

Iceberg smiled, offering the man a friendly gaze. "What, you don't trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone," Crocodile shot back.

The mayor sighed before turning towards the boxer, fingers snapping. "Go get it," he ordered, moving aside for the man to leave the room. He returned his gaze back over to Luffy, sending her a thin smile. "He is rather mean, isn't he?" he questioned then, as if Crocodile weren't there. "You must be strong willed to be around such a grouchy old man all day."

A dry huff filled the room on Crocodile's part and Luffy just simply gave Iceberg a small smile, too afraid to say anything negative about her employer.

Sitting back down, Iceberg crossed his legs while throwing his arm across the back of the chair. "So," he began slowly, "what's the deal with Doflamingo?"

Crocodile arched a brow as he leaned back in his seat, legs slightly stretching out before him as he slumped back. "Fool wants to take on two of the strongest mobs out there—Edward's and Teach's."

Iceberg's once pleased expression melted into one of grimace, as if he had just saw something utterly disgusting. "You must be joking…?"

"No," Crocodile responded dully. "He says that those two at each other's throats, and that we other mobs will get dragged in—says we got to strike them first before they come after us."

The major nodded, eyes fluttering shut as a low sigh escaped his lips. "And he wants you to join forces with him, yes? To take down not one, but _two_ of the biggest clans this side of the country?" He laughed then, almost as if he were amused. His eyes opened, gaze hard. "Please tell me you shot him in the head there and then."

A smile came to Crocodile. "No," he answered. "I agreed to join his little game; he gave a rather persuading argument…" Pausing, he crossed his arms. "He seemed truly scared—he'd never admit to it, but the tone in his voice was obvious enough. He's dead set on thinking Teach will go after him."

"And you?" Iceberg added. "Do you have a history with that man?"

Crocodile remained mute for a long minute before answering. "I've had run-ins in the past, yes, but it never became _too_ hostile."

"And you're willing to risk his—as well as Edward's—wrath by joining up with Doflamingo?"

"Imagine," Crocodile began after a nod, voice picking up in excitement, "if those two were to be eliminated, who would become the most powerful around?"

Iceberg's expression lightened, clearly interested in what Crocodile was saying.

"Of course I'd have to share said power with Doflamingo," the older of the two dully added, "but between the both of us, I'd say _I'd_ benefit the most." He smirked then. "With Edward and Teach out of the picture, there's nobody who can get in _our_ way."

"All traffic would be under your control," Iceberg muttered, eyes narrowing as he glanced down at the floor. "The profit would surely increase…land and cities…_power…__**authority.**_" Snapping his gaze back up to Crocodile, a wide grin came to the mayor. "You bastard," he said with a laugh, "I think you just convinced me."

The boxer returned then, carrying two suitcases much bigger than the one Luffy had. Crocodile sent him a dull gaze before stating, "We'll continue this chat at another time." He got up and went for the suitcases now placed upon the table. Opening one, he smirked at the gold shimmering inside.

"Had your share of the winnings traded in for gold bars," Iceberg explained. "Just how you like it." He got up then, reaching one hand out. "Now, if you wouldn't mind..."

Crocodile threw Luffy a gaze before motioning for her to hand over her suitcase. Blinking, she weakly got up and handed it off to the mayor, eyes widening as he opened it. Inside was green and white: Money and a strange looking powder. For a moment, she thought it was sugar, but realized that would had been ridiculous.

Iceberg smiled softly. "You always know where to get the best stuff, Croc—if the wrong people found out about this little trade route of yours, you'd get into major trouble."

Shutting his own suitcase, Crocodile threw the man a coy stare. "There are a lot of things I do that would get me into trouble." With that, he handed one of the suitcases off to Luffy, which was ten times heavier than the first suitcase. With struggle, she gasped as she tried to hold onto it. Thankfully, Crocodile carried the second suitcase.

Throwing the suitcase over his shoulder, Iceberg tilted his head and cheerfully asked, "Heading off to the race tracks? I got word in that _Seabiscuit_ will win today's race—might be worth your time to place a bet."

"Actually, I am heading that way," Crocodile answered as he turned to start walking out the door, Luffy following after him, face red from the heavy suitcase. "I'm meeting with that idiot Doflamingo to talk business. You should join if you plan on working with us to take down…" Pausing, he glanced at the boxer, lips forming a firm line. "You know who."

Iceberg nodded silently before shrugging. "I'll leave all that fun stuff to you, Croc. Got mayor stuff to do, people to boss around—you know, all that jazz." With a quick wink at Luffy, Iceberg slipped out of the room, waving one silent goodbye.

"Let's go," Crocodile calmly told Luffy, gesturing for her to follow him down the opposing side of the hallway. "We still have a lot to do today."

* * *

Once inside the car, Luffy fell to the side, breathing heavily. She tried to relax from the relief of not having to carry that heavy suitcase anymore. With a tired gaze, she watched as Crocodile _easily_ took her suitcase, propping it open before opening his own. The gold inside shimmered and Luffy stared at it wide-eyed.

He picked up a bar, examining it before placing it into the other suitcase. "I'm going to give you a few bars to place a bet for me when we get to the tracks," he began, not offering her a single glance. "You will ask for _Franky_—you will _not _give the suitcase to anybody else besides him, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Luffy answered, eyes still glued on the gold.

"Tell him that I sent you and that he is to place the bet on _Seabiscuit._ After that, you can go sit anywhere to watch the race, which afterwards—_when _that horse wins—you will go return to Franky to collect my winnings." It was then he offered Luffy a glance, taking in her stare upon the gold. He smirked then. "Do you like this?" he asked, fingers tracing the edge of one of the bars.

Luffy's gaze widened as she glanced back up to him, unsure of what to say. Of course she liked the image of gold, who wouldn't? But with him, every question had some extra secret meaning.

Slamming the suitcase, he handed it to her with a thin smirk. "I can assume you can handle such a simple task without messing it up, yes?"

She nodded, fingers clutching the case tightly upon her lap.

* * *

Luffy—alone—wondered about the outer ring of the race track, eyes shifting this way and that as she searched for the booker office. She held onto the suitcase tightly across her chest, offering hard stares to any man who sent her a coy look. She—a thief—would never allow another thief to take that gold.

_If anybody were to take this gold, it'd be me_, she thought greedily. Of course, she wouldn't attempt such a thing, but she couldn't help but fantasize about all the food she could buy with such money.

Her journey about the race tracks continued on for a good ten minutes, and when she'd just about given up on hope, she spotted a familiar figure. Stopping, she watched the man scratch his chin as he stared up at the list of horses participating in the race, a gambling card in his hand.

Luffy swallowed before approaching him, offering him a thin but friendly smile when he glanced her way.

Cocking a brow, he looked as if he didn't recognize her at first, only to narrow his stare and nod quickly. "I know you," Law commented, eyes falling down upon her suitcase before flicking back up to her face. "You're that maid, aren't you?"

Smiling, Luffy nodded. "Yes," she answered softly. "My master is meeting up with Doflamingo—are you here because of that as well?"

Law nodded, eyes quickly glancing off back to the board. "Thought I'd place a bet before the race started," he began, pausing afterward to look down at his scorecard. "But I'm stuck between _Buttercup _and _Seabiscuit…_Which one should I choose?"

Cocking a brow, she pointed to the name _Seabiscuit. _"That one," she answered firmly. "You should bet on that one." Even if Crocodile spoke poorly of Doflamingo—and probably his men—she didn't feel at all guilty for passing on the illegal knowledge of which horse was to win that afternoon.

Law looked over the name and shrugged. "So be it," he agreed before circling the name of the horse on his card. After, he glanced back at the suitcase, a thin smirk briefly crossing his face. "Are you placing a bet?"

Luffy tilted her head. "Oh, yes—er, well not exactly. I'm doing it for my master since he's busy meeting with Doflamingo."

Law nodded. "How much is he putting in?"

Blinking, she glanced down at the suitcase as she tried to recall how much gold Crocodile left inside. "I believe three gold bars," she answered slowly, unsure of her answer. When she looked back up to Law's face, she caught him throwing her a surprised expression.

"Your master is a big-time gambling man," he commented before looking down at his card. With a slight smirk, he amusedly told her, "I can only afford to put in a few dollars—I wonder how much I'd get if I had that type of money lying around."

Shrugging, Luffy glanced over to the race track, eyes taking in the excitement below. Men and racers were running about, obviously getting ready to start the race. "Oh," she suddenly said, "it's about to begin—I have to go place this bet."

Law nodded once more, gesturing off to the booker boxes to the right. "It's over there," he informed her as she scurried by him.

Upon reaching the offices, Luffy placed the suitcase down upon a counter and peered inside, blinking as she caught men running about collecting bets. She stayed silent for a moment, waiting for somebody to approach her, and when that didn't happen, she cleared her throat. "Uh, hey there," she called out, to nobody in particular.

When none of the men inside looked her way, she repeated herself, but much louder.

"You wanna bet?" a man growled, pulling himself away from a terrible mess of gambling cards—clearly trying to organize them. With a cocked brow, he gave her a once over before dully asking, "Which horse and how much?"

"Oh, well," she began, fumbling around with her words as she tried to figure out how to approach the situation. "I need to speak to a, uh…_Franky_?"

The man titled his head slightly, gaze widening a bit. "Franky?" he asked, tone curious. "_You_ want to speak to _Franky?_" An amused expression came to him then. "How does a little thing like you know about a guy like that?"

Breathing heavily, she frowned. "I just need to place my bet to him and him alone—that's all I can say."

Shrugging, the man gave a quick nod. "Alright, alright, I hear you—don't need to get snippy with me." Turning, he placed his hand to his mouth and called out at the top of his voice, "Franky! You got business this way!" Turning back her way, the man gave her a quick wave of the hand before stating, "He'll be with you shortly." After that, he turned to return back to his organization task.

Pulling away from her box office counter, she glanced off at the other men and women placing bets, eyes landing on Law as he handed over a handful of bills. She smiled softly, watching him make his exchange. He must have felt her gaze on him because he glanced her way, cocking a brow when she made a surprised expression.

Flicking her stare forward, she was met with a mess of blue hair, slicked up and styled oddly. Blinking, she opened her mouth to speak, but found there were no words.

"Wow!" the new man cheered, voice loud and proud. "You needed assistance?" He proceeded to pound his fists together, as if more than ready to help her in whatever she needed. "_Franky is here to help!_"

Luffy couldn't help but smile at the man's strange antics, clapping her hands together after he did a funny pose with his arms pressed together over his head. "My boss sent me to place a bet," she answered, pointing down at the suitcase. "He said I was to only bet with you."

Lowering his brows, Franky leaned in towards her over the counter, voice low as he said, "you want to place a big bet, correct?" When she nodded in response, he added, "Who is your boss, then?"

"Crocodile."

A smirk came to him as he nodded. "And how much is he placing?" Before she had the chance to answer, he propped the suitcase open and his expression went blank. "A lot, apparently," he answered for himself, closing the case and taking it inside the office. Clearing his throat, he offered Luffy a coy stare. "Which horse was it now?"

"Seabiscuit," she answered firmly. "That's the one." After a minute, she was handed a card with all her gambling information upon it.

"Come back after the race then," he said. "I'll have the suitcase ready by then." And with that, Franky disappeared into the depths of the bookies office.

Clutching the card tightly against her abdomen, Luffy glanced around—blinking once she caught Law standing a few meters behind her. When they connected eyes, he took to her way slowly. "Did you place your bet?" he questioned upon approaching her, tone curious.

She nodded with a soft smile, taking in how his once dull but probing eyes seemed to glimmer in direct sunlight. While she would never say it out loud, she had to admit he was a _handsome_ man, youth clearly on his side and highlighting his best features. He held a similar posture to that of Crocodile, but his didn't have that same level of intensity as the latter—no, it was distant, yet intriguing, prompting Luffy to wonder who this man really was.

"Do you want to go sit together to watch the race?"

His question caught her off guard, bringing her out of her daze and back to reality. "Hmm?" she questioned.

"The race," Law began, "would you like to watch it together?" His eyes searched hers for a long second before he turned to start walking towards the tracks. "Or, not…"

Shaking her head, Luffy quickly followed after him, slowing her pace dramatically as she got to his side. "Yes, I'd like that," she answered, voice pitchy as she realized how much a fool she must have looked a second ago. She began to fan herself with the card when she felt her face grow hot.

They took to the middle row of seats—close enough to get a good view of the horses but far enough as to not be lost in the crowd of people nearing the front. Still fanning herself, Luffy glanced about, smiling when the horses were starting to line up at the start of the track.

"You shouldn't stay in direct sunlight for too long or you might get lightheaded," Law dully stated, eyes watching the horses as well. When she titled her head his way, he added, "And you should drink water regularly as well."

She couldn't help but ask, "Are you a doctor or something?"

Smirking, he flicked his attention from the racetrack to meet hers. "Not exactly," he explained. After a short pause, he added, "I'm currently attending a medical university—but with the summer off, I'm back home to study at Doflamingo's estate."

Blinking twice, Luffy took in a quick breath of air. She had heard of mob doctors in the past, but she couldn't believe that a guy as young as Law could be one. "You're a mob doctor then?" she questioned, eyes wide and full of curiosity as well as amazement.

His expression quickly dulled. "N-no, that's not what I just said," he tried to explain but was stopped by Luffy's clapping.

"That's so cool," she blurted out, hands folding under her chin. "I've heard so many stories about how mob doctors get to do all these dramatic procedures while being a badass at the same time!"

"You have the wrong idea," Law muttered, trying to clear things up, but to no avail.

Flicking her wide gaze back to him, she excitedly asked, "What's the most gruesome procedure you had to do so far, huh? I bet it was something nasty, like sewing up a guy after he just had a shootout with another mobster, right?"

"I'm not certified to do those sorts of things yet," he answered, tone growing weaker as her happy expression grew even more.

Waving her hand dismissingly, she corrected him with, "_You're _a mob doctor—you don't need to be certified, you know?"

A strange grunt of a laugh escaped his lips. "Stop," he demanded, a smirk fighting to form upon his lips. "First, you're a maid—stop acting like you know all the ins and outs of a mob. Second, I'm not a mob doctor; I'm studying medicine at the moment so I can enter a career—a _regular _one—outside of Doflamingo's clan." When he finished speaking, Luffy found herself frowning.

"That's not as fun, though," she commented, causing him to roll his eyes before turning his stare back down to the race track. Pressing her finger under her chin, she thought about Crocodile and his mob, wondering if he had a mob doctor.

The ringing of a gunshot cut her thoughts short, forcing her to snap her attention down towards the horses. They were off, speeding down the track faster than anything she ever saw before, and Luffy couldn't help but sit on the edge of her seat. A few of the horses took the lead, neck and neck.

"Seabiscuit is nearing the front," Law stated, voice excited.

Clutching tightly onto her gambling card, Luffy nodded happily. "I think he's going to win," she responded. She knew full well that Seabiscuit _was_ to win, but she didn't want to ruin the man's excitement by revealing it was a rigged race.

When the winning horse crossed the finished line, Law flexed his fist as a smile exploded upon his face—clearly happy that he won his bet. He threw Luffy a pleased expression, eyes widening as he cocked a brow. "Looks like you picked the correct horse."

Smiling, she went to respond, but stopped when a heavy arm fell over her shoulder. From her view, she caught a pink feathered arm falling over Law's shoulder, and a mess of blonde hair appeared between them.

"Found you," Doflamingo slurred, breath thick of hard liquor. "Took a while, but papa flamingo always finds his babies…" His voice trailed off as he cocked his head Luffy's way, lips forming a firm line. "I dunno you…yet you look familiar?" He sounded genuinely concerned, as if struggling to work out a difficult problem.

Sighing heavily, Law shrugged the man's arm off him. "You're drunk."

Doflamingo grinned, body slumping into Luffy and lying practically on top of her as he rested the back of head on top of hers. "You're _so_ smart to notice that," he slurred back, waving one dismissing hand. His head tilted towards the race track. "A horse?"

"Yes," Law answered, tone growing annoyed. "We are at a racetrack, _remember_?" He got up, brushing off his pants as he threw a quick glance Luffy's way. "And you do realize you're crushing somebody, don't you?"

Doflamingo grunted in response, stretching his arms out as his torso slipped off of her shoulder, causing him to fall down on her lap. "_Hi_," he said in a sly tone. "Didn't expect an angel to fall on you today, did ya?" While his words were understandable, his slurred tone made his line fall short of wooing her.

Another dull huff escaped from Law.

"I, uh, should go now," Luffy began as she tried to wiggle out from under the massive man. "I need to find Crocodile."

"_Boo_," Doflamingo whined, rolling over and falling off of the bench. He had one long leg still propped up beside her, head now resting on her feet. "He's b o…r…e…g…?" The bird man's voice trailed off as he tried to finish spelling his word.

"Are you trying to spell _boring_?" Law questioned as he tried to step over the man, tripping slightly and landing against Luffy's shoulder when Doflamingo took a hold of his ankle. "Let go," he groaned, pushing himself away from Luffy and trying to straighten himself up.

"Can you get me more rum?" Doflamingo asked. "Daddy needs more…liquor…" his other hand took to Luffy's ankle, tongue running out across his lower lip, "…and _special_ company."

Widening her eyes, Luffy jumped out of her seat and away from Doflamingo, bidding them a quick goodbye before turning around to scurry off. In the distance, she could hear Law's angry tone as he scolded the bird, going on about how he scared her off and was acting like a drunken mess.

While she felt bad for abandoning her new friend like that, she didn't particular enjoy Doflamingo's company. _I already have more than enough old man to deal with when it comes to Crocodile_, she thought as she took up the flight of stairs, heading straight for the bookie's offices. Cocking one last glance back their way, she took in Law's small figure in the distance, a soft smile forming on her lips. For some strange reason, she liked him—he seemed interesting and…blushing, Luffy thought about his rather pleasing to look at facial features.

_If I wasn't tied up with Crocodile, I might have ended up going after a guy like Law._ Luffy giggled briefly at the thought before turning back around to continue her journey to collect Crocodile's winnings. _Doctors are rich and can probably afford a ton of food._

* * *

Luffy approached the car, carrying the suitcase now filled with green bills five times the amount of the gold bars. With a heavy huff, she plopped it down before Daz, falling down to her knees to rest a little bit. The driver cocked a brow as he watched her, arms crossed over his chest.

"Has Crocodile returned yet?" she asked, wiping a hand across her forehead. "I got his money."

Daz took the suitcase away from her with ease, tossing it into the car after opening the door. "He'll be with us shortly—he's dining at the moment."

_He is?_ _By himself…?_ Frowning, Luffy found that she herself was hungry, prompting her to wonder when she would have the time to eat.

Daz circled around the back of the car, opening the trunk before pulling out two objects wrapped up in paper. "Here," he dully stated, tossing her one of them.

Catching it, she cocked a brow before peeling the paper back, revealing two thick slices of bread with jam spreading.

"The cook gave this to me before we left this morning," Daz explained, opening his own snack. He took a big bite out of it as he leaned against the car. "It's not much, but at least we won't go hungry."

Luffy nodded, offering him a thankful expression. They ate their lunch in silence after that.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Luffy followed Crocodile about town. She would carry this and that for him, things ranging from paperwork to oddly shaped packages. He met with many different people—some meetings where she was ordered to wait by the car, others were she was required to stay by his side.

Daz—she had realized in the middle of the day—had it lucky as the driver. All he had to do was wait by the car for their arrival and practically did nothing else. _**I**__ could do that_, Luffy thought bitterly as she waddled after Crocodile, legs tired from all the walking they did that day. _Instead I have to carry all his stuff…_

Sighing, Luffy did a quick stretch, happy to know that the day was coming to an end soon—which also meant they would be returning to the mansion soon. While she wasn't carrying anything at that moment, she couldn't help but fantasize about the comforts of her bed and how nice it would feel to drift off to sleep.

Crocodile stopped, which lead her to stop as well. He stuck a hand into his pocket to fish out a cigar and while he fumbled around to lite it, Luffy's attention was caught by the store beside them. Hesitantly, she approached the window, admiring the beautiful jewelry and trinkets set up on displace. Her eyes glazed over each item, lips forming a soft smile.

Luffy could see Crocodile looking her way from his reflection in the glass. "They're pretty," she found herself observing, fingers pressing gently against the glass. Her body slightly tensed when he took to her side to get a better look, dull eyes searching. Pouting, she crossed her arms after glancing at the prices, angry that she—herself—could never afford to buy one. "They charge too much though."

Crocodile chuckled at that, cocking a brow her way. "Is there one in particular that's caught your eye?"

Luffy glanced back to the items, smiling when she pointed at a necklace pendant, white stone carved into the shape of a little heart. "That one," she answered before her voice softened. "But they want more than I could ever afford."

Crocodile left her side then to enter the store, causing her to blink in confusion. Following him inside, she watched as he approached the store keep, pointing towards the stand. "With a dark green ribbon," she heard him say as she approached them.

The store keep happily brought forth the pendant and a green ribbon, slipping one through the other to create a beautiful necklace. Cash was exchanged and Crocodile held the item out to Luffy. With a hard stare, he said, "Never take it off—you are to wear it at all occasions unless I say otherwise."

With wide eyes, she took it, thumb brushing over the smooth surface of the stone. Her gaze glanced up to his and she mumbled a gentle, "thank you…sir."

His expression remained blank as she tied it around her neck, the little heart resting at the dip of her clavicle. Her fingers rested upon it, tracing its edge as she followed him out of the store. _That was kind of him,_ she thought, confused as to why he would buy her that. Luffy couldn't help but smile briefly, cheeks slightly warming up.

* * *

The _long _car ride back to the mansion was taken in utter silence, Luffy sitting motionless by Crocodile's side. Occasionally, she would touch her gift—not used to wearing a necklace. The stone was cold against her flesh, but she didn't mind.

Soon, she found herself growing tired, eyes struggling to keep open. She knew she should stay awake but it was hard to fight such a feeling.

Fluttering her eyes shut, she tried to position herself against the car seat where she could relax without falling asleep. The motion of the car caused her body to shift ever so slowly towards Crocodile, head finally meeting his shoulder. It was comfortable that way and when he didn't seem to mind, she kept to that.

She never even remembered drifting off.

Luffy awoke when the car came to a complete halt, eyes blinking the sleep away. Beneath her head was a mixture of fine fabric and hard muscle and something was resting at the curve of her waist. Yawning, she brought a hand up to rub her nose, fingers resting on a knee afterwards.

Widening her stare, she pushed herself up quickly after realizing that she was resting her head on Crocodile's lap, face growing red. When she went to send him an apologetic look, she found that he too had drifted off, head resting upon the side of the car seat. His hand remained motionless at her waist, his breathing soft.

Seeing him like that intrigued Luffy, leading her to reach out and trace the scar across his face softly. He seemed defenseless at that moment, any walls he once had up now shattered.

The car door opened suddenly, a pair of hard eyes peering in and morphing into one of confusion then shock and then realization. "Oh," Daz muttered, taking a step back as he flicked his gaze back and forth between Luffy and the sleeping man she was practically on top of. "This explains a lot."

Shaking her head quickly, Luffy scrambled across Crocodile's lap and out of the car, which prompted him to stir. "N-no," she told the driver with wide eyes, face flustered from embarrassment. "That's…this…this isn't what you think!"

Daz shot her an amused expression, hands reaching out to grab her shoulders and keep her back. "Hey there," he began, smirking, "don't come near me like that. He might get the wrong idea if he catches you looking at me like that."

"No!" Luffy whined, wiggling out of his grasp. "You got it all wrong!"

"Uh, no," Daz responded as he quickly took a step back away from her. "I can't believe I didn't catch on before," he added. "But it all makes sense now."

Sighing, she stomped her foot in retaliation. "Whatever you think is going on, it isn't, alright!" Luffy dreaded the thought of Daz knowing what she and Crocodile did—if _anybody_ found out, she could just about die from embarrassment. _If anybody knew about what we did, they'd get the wrong idea about me! Something as indecent as that…_

Crocodile's groggy voice came to life. "What are you two going on about?"

Turning around, she caught him getting out of the car, the back of his hand wiping away the sleep in his eyes. He sent the two of them a strange—and cranky—stare, brows lowered and lips in a firm line. "What is with all the yelling?"

"A bee landed on her, sir," Daz started, pushing past her to open the door fully for him. "I tried to shoo it off her."

Sighing, Crocodile threw Luffy a hard gaze. "Is that all?" he dully asked, clearly not impressed. Stretching, he turned to head towards the mansion. "Help him bring in my stuff, little thief. After that, you're dismissed for the day."

Once he had fully left, Luffy sent Daz a grim expression. "You're wrong," she snapped with a heavy breath of air. "Nothing is going on—I fell asleep like that on _accident_." Taking a handful of items, she stuck her tongue out at him before turning to quickly rush inside the mansion.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **A few days have passed and Crocodile determines that he has given Luffy enough time to heal up, which means da smut train is coming back. ;D Also, other things to help move the plot along, but smut.

* * *

**A/N:** I tried to add symbolism into this chapter, what with the peaches representing Luffy's virginity and Crocodile taking it and the necklace representing a collar and reinforcing the idea that Crocodile considers Luffy his and only his. Also tried to add some minor fluff between Luffy and Law. And drunk Doflamingo because why not? Also NICE crocodile? :O NOT 4 long DOE

I keep forgetting, but I made a Tumblr for one piece (link in my profile) and if you tumble, you should go there and tumble with me. : D

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Yeah, and I'll eventually go into more detail about why Crocodile is like that when I enter his backstory for this fic. Yes, Luffy would do anything for Ace hurhurhur. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**IMadeThisUp:** Ohhhh! You're making me blush! Thank you so much for your kind words! You're too kind! Thank you for reading and supporting this story! It really means a lot to me.

**Anon:** xD For Crocodile, I'm going to have him have gentle moments, and well, not so gentle moments in regards to Luffy. Haha, I have a plan for Ace and his knowledge regarding Luffy and Crocodile's…special relationship. But I won't say any more than that. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	14. Bath

**Warning: *ChooChoo* The smut train has officially pulled into station. When you see the "oOoOoOo" know that you are boarding the train and entering M rated territory. If you wish not to board said train, skip over the material until you see the second "oOoOoOo" which implies that the smut rain has left the station and you are safe in T rated territory.**

**A/N:** A few days have passed since the previous chapter.

**To Serve at his Command|** Bath

Luffy stood outside under the night sky, eyes searching the empty road behind the brass gates. One hand was holding firmly onto a pole, the other clutching an envelope. She had snuck a phone call to Buggy the day before—while her master was busy dining—telling the clown to meet her that night.

Glancing down, she looked to her letter. Inside, she had written:

_Ace,_

_Everything is going smoothly on my part, but I don't believe I have much helpful information yet to share. The other day, Crocodile mentioned something about a shipment coming in from Australia, but I don't know what said shipment consists of. He is also apparently in close ties with the mayor of this city, a man by the name of Iceberg._

_I have already mentioned to you his arrangements with the Doflamingo clan, but it appears that there are going to start working on a plan soon—which, I still know little of._

_That is all the information I have for now, but if I find anything else out, I'll write you immediately._

_With love,_

_Luffy_

She couldn't help but frown then, saddened that she didn't have much to share with her brother. Luffy knew that there had to be _something_ in ties to Crocodile that she could pass on to Ace, but finding said information proved harder than she originally thought. _By doing this, I very well may be able to save Ace from his debt to that Teach guy…_

Swallowing, she snapped her gaze forward when she heard a timid muttering in the distance. "God damn it all to hell," the voice whispered, growing as it got closer to the gate. "Where is she…?"

"Buggy?" she called out, voice low enough as to not alert any of the other servants—or more importantly, Crocodile. "Is that you?"

A sniff came to life then, a red nose stopping before her. With wide eyes, Buggy glanced about the property, clearly shaken up about being at such a place. "I can't believe you dragged me all the way out _here!_" the clown said with a low growl, brows lowering to form an angry expression. "And for what? So I can mail some stupid letter?"

Slipping the letter through the gate poles, she offered him a small smile. "Thank you, Buggy!" she whispered, body relaxing as he took the letter. "You're a life saver."

Buggy rolled his eyes, shoving the envelope into his pocket before throwing a glance to the mansion behind her. "This is where you work now, eh?" he questioned, brow cocking. "At least it's better than the shack I own." Scratching his chin, he threw her a sly smirk. "Got any money to hand over as well, you know, give a little something to dear old Buggy for helping you out?"

Luffy shook her head. "Sorry, not right now—but if I get paid soon, I'll share my money with you." Pausing, she quickly added, "Any word on Shanks?"

Buggy shrugged. "Hasn't shown up for a time now, but don't worry, he disappears like that once and a while. I'm sure he'll show up with that stupid smile on his face." With one last glance, the clown pulled away from the gate. "It's getting late and this place reminds me of hell, so I'll leave now."

Sighing, Luffy nodded once before turning to return back to the mansion. She shot one last glance back at the man, taking in his blue hair bounce as he rushed down the street into the dark abyss. _He really is a nice guy, deep down inside._

Quietly, she returned back inside the mansion, making sure to shut the door in utter silence. She had little left to do that night—tend to Crocodile, organize some of the cleaning supplies, and perhaps sneak a quick bite to eat. _Sanji cooked stakes tonight,_ she thought hungrily, wondering what wonderful spices he used and how it would taste.

Smiling softly, she quickly scurried up the staircase, making a sharp right towards Crocodile's bed chambers. All she really had to do was help him dress and then she could make a quick descent down to the kitchen. The past few days had been simple with that old man, which surprised her. Of course he would make an occasional _bold_ comment, but besides that, he never once asked her to do what they did nights ago.

Luffy figured he was satisfied with what happened and she saw no reason as to expect any forward actions on his part anytime _soon_. _In and out,_ she thought happily as she approached his door, knocking on it gently. _And then I'll be able to dine on that feast!_

When she entered his room upon his command, she caught him sitting at his desk, legs propped up as he read over the last few pages of that days paper. He sent her a dull gaze before glancing back at the paper.

Tilting her head, she hesitantly approached his desk, hands folding together over her chest. She could feel the heart stone of her necklace graze against her knuckles. "Are you ready to change for bed, sir?" she asked softly, eyes flicking down at the paper.

Folding the paper up and tossing it aside, his gaze took to hers—hard and searching. He pressed his hand behind his head, slumping back even farther into his chair, never once looking away. Cocking a brow slightly, he simply asked, "Where's the farthest you've ever traveled?"

Frowning in confusion, she shifted her weight onto one leg, crossing the other foot behind her ankle. "Sir?" she asked, unsure of what he was asking.

Sighing softly, he said, "From home—how far have you've traveled in your short life?" He paused then before smirking and adding, "I don't expect somebody of your limited financial status to get far, but I'm curious if this city is the farthest you've come?"

Cupping one of her elbows, Luffy nodded then. "Oh, well, sometimes I travel up the coastline a bit when I want to visit my father—it's not very far, but it takes a few days to get up there." She watched as a look of interest crossed his stare.

"You don't live with your father?"

Luffy shook her head. "With my grandfather—along with my brother. My father…" Trailing off, she glanced away, biting down on her inner cheek.

"Yes?" Crocodile commented, tone hinting at his obvious interest.

When she looked back his way, she took in his calm expression. "Ah, well," she began, voice soft. It was a complicated story that she didn't really want to share. Breathing softly, she shrugged and quickly said, "He just doesn't live with us."

The man nodded, eyes shutting as he crossed his feet upon his desk. "I see," he responded, voice dying from its once interested state. "And besides that, you've traveled nowhere else?"

"No, sir."

Crocodile nodded before opening his eyes. "I have means to cross the state border in two weeks or so," he explained. "I need to meet with an associate of mine as well as collect a shipment order." He stopped to bring his hand down upon his abdomen. "Would you like to accompany me on this trip?"

Blinking, Luffy found herself surprised that he would _ask_ if she wanted to tag along or not. Typically, she was simply just ordered to follow him around, yet, now, he was giving her a choice? Swallowing, she found herself nodding silently.

"Good," Crocodile said then before arising from his seat. "You can go draw me a bath then. I'll be in shortly." He proceeded to gesture off to an adjoining room—his personal bathroom. "Make sure the water is hot—I will not tolerate a lukewarm bath."

"Uh, yes, right away, sir," Luffy said as she turned and headed off for the bathroom. Upon entering—for the first time—she took in how _beautiful_ it was compared to the rather crappy one she had to share with the other servants.

The room—much larger than any bathroom she ever seen before—had all the basics and more. A black tub to the back, an oriental rug beneath it, and potted tropical plants occupying the back corners of the room. There was a small rack of hand towels and soap bottles beside the tub. A sink stood off to the right, a huge mirror gleaming behind it. The counters connected to the sink contained a random assortment of bottles and other personal hygiene items. It was all enchanting, making her jealous.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of her daze, she pushed forward to the tub, making sure to turn on the water heater as she went. Her fingers took to the water knob on the tub and soon enough, water began to pour. Kneeling down on the floor, she dipped her hand in to feel as the icy cold water began to warm.

When the water reached about a few inches under the rim of the tub, she turned the knob back, shutting off the water. Pulling her hand out of the water, she glanced towards the door, still sitting down as she watched Crocodile enter, shirt already off.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

He was working his pants undone as he approached the tub, prompting her to stiffen.

"Do you need help?" she asked, unsure of what to do.

He shook his head _no_ as his pants fell from his hips. "Get up, though," he ordered her, tone between a state of calm and excitement. When she did as such, within a foot away from him, he reached his hand out to her bust.

Glancing down, she watched as he started to undo the buttons of her uniform. When she reached out to help him, he slapped her hand away gently.

"I can do it," he informed her, voice hinting at a bit of annoyance. It took a few moments, but he managed to undo the column of buttons before pushing his hand under the first layer of the outfit and pulling it off her body.

Standing there in her slip, bloomers, stockings, and work shoes, Luffy found her cheeks growing warm. Silently, she took in a sharp breath of air when his hand tugged at one of her slips straps, pulling it off her shoulder. He took to the other one and the thin fabric fell from her body, leaving her almost as exposed as he was.

On instinct, her arms crossed over her chest, hands clamping down on her shoulders. Her skin prickled as he traced his hand down her stomach, kneeling before her and fingers dipping under the waistband of her bloomers. He tugged it off her hips and as it fell, he took to removing her stockings, one after the other.

He arose and his hand was under her chin, forcing her once again to look up his way. "You don't need to act so embarrassed," he commented. "I've already seen you like this." Turning, his hand left her face as he went to get into the tub. "Bring over one of those hand towels and soap, and then get in."

Luffy's throat grew dry but she turned anyway to reach out for a towel, fingers tracing across the soft fabric for a brief second. After picking one, she took to a soap bar. Turning around, she glanced down at him, wondering how exactly he wanted her to get in.

Noticing her confused state, Crocodile offered her his hand. "Right over here," he stated when she took it.

As her breathing—and heartbeat—increased in speed, she got in, awkwardly allowing him to pull her down on top of his lap. Her legs spread as she went, thighs closing around his waist and bottom pressing down against his groin.

Turning redder in the cheeks, Luffy glanced away, hands—still holding the hand towel and soap—pressed over her chest. A small little gasp escaped her when his hand pushed against her back, pulling her in even closer against his body.

Crocodile splashed a bit of the water at her face, causing her to turn her attention back to him. "This water is bound to turn cold soon—you should hurry along now and start washing me." He sent her a thin smirk.

Luffy dipped the soap bar into the water, rubbing it between her hands for a moment before pressing it to the towel. When suds began to form, she hesitantly brought the towel to his chest, pressing down softly at first, but then harder. As she ran the cloth against his skin, he reached his hand out to play with the back of her necklace.

"I'm going to need you to do better," Crocodile began then, causing her to slow down her movements. "When Doflamingo came with his men—I had hoped you would be able to fish out some information for me."

Breathing softly, she kept the towel at his shoulder before flicking her gaze to his. "I'm sorry," she weakly responded.

He shook his head, hand falling down against her back. "Just try harder next time," he responded with a deep breath. "Doflamingo seemed to have taken an interest in you when he visited…" His expression grew hard, clearly annoyed. "Although I believe it's simply because you're _my_ maid and he wishes just to stir trouble to annoy me."

Cocking her head, she asked, "What do you want me to do then?"

With his nails pressing into her flesh, he dully answered, "I suppose if you were to push enough liquor on him, he'd open up to you, revealing _something_—that man loves to blab." He paused, hard eyes searching hers. "But do _**not**_ allow him to touch you as I do."

Swallowing, Luffy nodded, hand pulling the towel down from his shoulder and to his upper abdomen. As she continued down his stomach, she could feel something hard poking her inner thigh. When she glanced down at the intrusion, she flustered up upon realizing what _it_ was.

As she kept the towel upon his lower abdomen, Crocodile coolly told her, "You're hesitating." His hand took her wrist then, leading her hand down under the water and towards his groin. Once there, he released her to throw his hand over the rim of the tub. "Continue on."

Biting down on her lower lip, Luffy glanced downwards into the soapy water, eyes searching for her hand. While she couldn't clearly see what was going on down there, she could _feel_ around, fingers timidly touching and tracing new body parts. After a moment of doing that, she found something hard—the object pressing against her core.

A low groan vibrated in Crocodile's throat. "Be _careful_ down there," he warned her, brows arching as she continued washing him.

Luffy huffed in response, frustrated with him. She had no idea what he was expecting from her—he wanted her to wash him down there yet she had to be more careful than she already was? _And it's not fair,_ she thought, feeling that once flustered feeling dissolve from her cheeks. _He got to do what he wanted with me the other night, why can't I do the same?_

Shifting herself back a little, she released the towel to take to his member, fingers wrapping around the middle. She felt Crocodile's body tense under her own, his eyes snapping open to search hers. His mouth opened slightly as if he was going to say something, but he remained mute.

Luffy continued her investigation, fingers running up and down his shaft gently, feeling it harden beneath her touch. It puzzled her, yes, and perhaps even intimidated her, but at the same time, she felt utter curiosity. This was the part of Crocodile that penetrated her mere days ago, bringing her throbbing pain as well as foreign pleasure.

Stopping, she frowned slightly as she pulled her hand away from him, stomach curling up into tight knots. Her cheeks began to redden again, her mind wondering what had just gotten into her like that. _Why did you touch him there…? Somewhere indecent and wrong and…_Her gaze lifted up to meet his, taking in his slightly flustered expression.

Luffy brought her hand up to her chest, fingers wrapping around the heart pendant as she silently searched his face. She felt his handless arm press into her lower back, bringing her body closer to his as his hand submerged underwater. Her eyes darted down when he took his cock and positioned it at her opening, his other arm shifting her body into position.

When he began to pull her down, Luffy arched her brows, feeling that same stretching sensation she did before. Her hands took to his shoulders, steadying herself as more of him entered her. While it didn't hurt as it did the first time, she still felt a bit uncomfortable from his invasion. A soft whimper escaped her when he filled her as far as he could.

Crocodile's hand took to her hip and his eyes softened briefly. "I'm going to need you to help out here a bit," he began, smirking at her flustered state. "I can't do this properly in this position with only one hand here."

Nodding, Luffy lifted herself up slightly when his hand pushed her hip up, and she slid back down when his hand pulled her hip down. Her eyes kept to his as they did this, slowly increasing speed and strength. The water from the tub danced around them and soon she found herself leaning into him, breath growing heavy.

His armless hand kept to her back, making the embrace tight. Their foreheads touched and her eyes fluttered shut, feeling his hot breath against her jawline. Biting down on her bottom lip, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hands hanging off the back of the tub.

The pressure she once felt was gone, morphing into that good sensation she so much desired. While the time they spent together doing such an act days ago had been painful, this time around was different—almost completely and utterly enjoyable.

She soon found herself lost in the motion, hips rolling on top his on instinct, mouth finding its way to his. Their tongues danced together, his quickly dominating and taking the lead. A low groan filled her mouth from his throat and she pulled away, eyes wide as she looked to him.

She brought one of her hands back up to cup the side of his face, her thumb reaching out to brush the corner of his scar. He didn't seem to mind it and Luffy smiled briefly when she felt her walls start to clamp down around him, that good pressure tipping over the edge.

It happened then—quick and surprising both of them. Crocodile's eyes widened, brows arching as his body tensed up beneath her.

Glancing down, Luffy felt him release inside her—her own orgasm cutting short. His member twitched beneath her walls, his fingers digging deep in her hip. When she looked back up to search his eyes, she caught frustration form across his face.

"_Fuck_," he hissed, breath heavy. He was deep inside her, tip pressing against her very core. Another _fuck_ escaped his lips as he glared down at the water.

He lifted her off him, his cock sliding out with struggle. Quickly, he took the towel and went to her center, rubbing her harshly as he groaned out again. "_Damn it,"_ he said as he ran the towel down her slit. Two of his fingers entered her, running up and down walls as if he were trying to get something out.

Frowning, Luffy glanced down, curious and worried as to why he was acting like that. "What is it?" she asked softly.

"We need to be more careful," Crocodile answered, tone annoyed as he pulled out of her. "I _**don't **_need any accidents occurring."

_Accidents?_

After a second, he took a deep breath and tossed the towel aside, eyes glancing up to hers. "It would not look good on my behalf I impregnated my maid," he said then, causing her to widen her stare. He huffed, almost amused. "Of course you wouldn't be educated enough to know the risks of doing such things."

Luffy was pushed back to the opposing side of the tub, allowing him to stand up and get out. He went for a larger towel, wrapping it around his hips. He sent her a hard stare and after a second of looking her way, it softened slightly. "Get out," he ordered, turning around to grab another towel.

When she did as such, she allowed him to wrap her up, hands reaching out to clutch the ends of the towel across her body. His hand took to her shoulder and for a moment, he just stared down at her, expression blank.

"Sir?" she asked timidly.

Sighing, he led her in front of him, towards the door. "Let's just…go to sleep," he said, following after her when she opened the door. Luffy glanced to his bed and cocked a brow while turning around to look back his way. "Mine or…?"

Crocodile answered her question by pushing her into his bed, getting in after. He pulled his towel off and got under the top cover, pulling her in towards his torso afterwards. Luffy's head rested on his chest, hand on top of his as he held her against him.

"We need to be more careful," he said once more with a dull voice.

After that, nothing else was said.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Two weeks have passed by and Crocodile takes Luffy across state to meet an associate of his—Boa Hancock. Doflamingo is there as well, and so is Law! Mobster plans, kink, and fluff to be had!

* * *

**A/N:** So I'm approaching 1oo reviews on this story! First, thank you _**SO**_ much for sticking with this story and supporting it—it really means a lot to me! I want to add a little one-shot side chapter when I reach review 1oo, and I've come up with three ideas, so if you like any, please state so (I'll kind of make it like a vote, whichever seems the most popular, I'll write.) Again, these are just single chaptered side stories that don't take place at the same time as the plot is right now, if that makes sense.

1\. Luffy and Crocodile attend a carnival in the city. Lots of fluff and adorable moments to ensue, where Luffy tries to show Crocodile how to have a good time. (No Smut)

2\. Crocodile has to go attend a masquerade dance to keep up with social status. Luffy can't go because she is a maid, but she gets a wee bit jealous, so—along with Sanji and Usopp—the three sneak in with their own costumes. Luffy—in disguise—ends up trying to seduce Crocodile while pretending to be another woman. (Will have smut)

3\. Luffy ends up taking Crocodile's last cigar to piss him off, and he has to search the entire estate to find her because he can't go long without a smoke. If he ever finds her, what punishment will he have in store for the little maid? (Smut as well as Crocodile POV)

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Haha, I'm glad you liked drunk Doflamingo! I was worried about adding him in there like that, but I wanted to add in some comic relief and I mean, who doesn't love a drunk flamingo? Aw, thank you so much! You're too kind to say this to me (;3;) Yeah, Crocodile will get a bit mean with her, but the meanest he'll ever get (actually, kind of cruel in a sense) will be towards the very end of this story. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Rodessalorenzo: **Lol! So you liked drunk Doflamingo as well! I guess I'll have to add in more liquored up flamingo in the future again! Yeah, I'm going to try to add a bit more fluff between Crocodile and Luffy (as well as Luffy and Law) before I dive back down into the heavy intensity stuff again. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Guest 1: **Well, it started with Crocodile: I wanted to write a fic for him because he's my ultimate favorite character. And he gives off this mobster tone, so I decided I'll go in that direction. From there, I went with historical because I like that more than modern and from there, I wanted to add in some kink with a maid and yeah, that's how it happened. Or well, that's the quick summary of it all, haha. I can go on and on about my love for mobsters (especially Italian ones) and historical periods and all that jazz, but that would take up too much room. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Guest 2 (not sure if this is a different person or same one as above, but I'll write it down as Guest 2):** Well, for this particular fic/time period, I was going with the idea of him thinking the "pull-out" method is good enough. We—being more educated in modern times—know better than that, but somebody back then may have full-heartily believed in the pull out method. BUT I WON'T SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT BABY-MAKING CUZ THIS MOUTH IS KEEPING SHUT NOW… ! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**IMadeThisUp:** Drunk mingo is very popular it seems lol And I'm so happy you caught onto that, with Luffy liking Law for potential food money! Some call it gold digging, Luffy calls it food digging. Well, expect more cute Law/Luffy moments and more Law scolding papa mingo. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Anon: **Awwww, thank you so much! I'm having a lot of fun adding in all this fluff—it's a nice break from all the intense stuff that happens. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D


	15. The Boa Brothel Inn

**Warning: *ChooChoo* The smut train has officially pulled into station. When you see the "oOoOo" know that you are boarding the train and entering M rated territory. If you wish not to board said train, skip over the material until you see the second "oOoOo" which implies that the smut train has left the station and you are safe in T rated territory.**

**A/N:** Two weeks have passed since the previous chapter.

**To Serve at his Command| **The Boa Brothel Inn

Luffy sat upon her knees as she peered out through the car window, eyes searching the rolling hills and fields of grass swirling past them. Her fingertips dug into the fabric lining the car door and as she flicked her gaze off to the back, she could see the other vehicle following after them—a speeding bullet it seemed.

It was Crocodile's men that were inside, consisting of Mr. Two, Mr. Five, and little sweet Coby. Their employer would never allow such people to ride the trip in his personal car, so they had to follow after them and keep up with Daz's fast pace. Luffy felt bad that the kid had to spend the drive across state with those two rougher men, wondering if he was having a nice time.

_I hope they're being kind to him_, she thought as she slunk back down to her bottom, throwing her gaze over to Crocodile, who was in the middle of reading the day's paper. He had his handless arm hanging across the backseat of the car, eyes hard as he gazed through the text.

Stretching her legs out as far as she could, she threw her gaze up to the ceiling, fingers resting on her lap as she started to tap out a silent tune. It had been two _long and boring_ hours so far into the drive and Luffy found herself constantly wondering about the past two weeks.

Since their time in the tub, Crocodile had her four more times—each time more intense than the last. Most of the time, he was rather gentle—but there were times when he seemed lost in the moment with hungry burning eyes and fingers that seemed to claw into her flesh with ease. His moods varied throughout the weeks, she had found out, and depending what state his mind was, it reflected upon what type of lover he would be that particular night.

Luffy preferred the gentler side but it would be a lie if she said she didn't find his rougher side intriguing.

Sighing, she rolled her head over to look back Crocodile's way—trying to gain his attention. The car ride was an utter bore for her and she figured that at least a _bit_ of conversation could ease her suffering. The older male must have felt her stare on him because his gaze slowly left the newspaper and found its way to her.

"Yes?" he questioned, cocking one brow.

Shifting back in her seat, Luffy slowly crossed her arms and simply stated, "I'm bored."

He eyed her for a moment before shrugging. "And I am to help with this problem _how?_"

Luffy responded with a small pout, prompting him to roll his eyes and place the newspaper down upon his lap. He proceeded to pull out one of the pages, handing it off to her. "Here," he said. "I assume you _can_ read, yes?"

Frowning, she took the paper, glaring at it—clearly not satisfied with his solution. Luffy didn't want to read boring stories from page five—she'd much rather talk or get out of the car to investigate the pretty surroundings.

Sighing, she gazed over the headlines for each article, expression dulling since they didn't sound interesting at all. There was a story about some business man opening up a new bank, another one about a new household item—all were of no importance to her. She tossed the paper aside, arms crossing once again over her chest as she threw her gaze out the window.

And it was then that she saw one—round, fat, and brown with little horns. Luffy's gaze widened quickly, her body perking up as she leaned towards the window. Another one appeared, followed by more and more until an entire heard of cattle took to the fields.

Tapping the window, she happily said, "Look!"

"What?" he dully asked.

"Just look!"

After a long second, she could feel his body behind her, his jaw brushing along her shoulder as he tried to get a good view. His hand moved to her side to steady himself against the car door, pinning her between him and the car seat.

"What are you pointing at?" he asked, voice low as he tried to figure out Luffy's excitement.

Tilting her head towards his, she smiled and answered, "It's cows, sir. Look, past the fence—you can see them grazing."

His curious expression morphed into a look of slight disgust. "And you find such dirty animals interesting?" he questioned, tone hinting that he was surprised. "You must truly be _that_ bored."

Sighing, she quickly folded her hands up in a pleading matter upon her chest, softening her stare to lay the puppy-dog eyes down hard. "Can we stop so I can go look at them?" she asked, wide eyes searching his.

His stare dulled, clearly nowhere as excited as she was. "We don't have the time," he answered firmly.

Luffy pouted her lower lip, arching her brows as she increased her innocent puppy expression to the maximum. "_Please_, sir?" she pleaded, voice soft as if she were about to cry. "It would mean the world to me."

Crocodile's jaw clenched and with a low sigh, he reached into his vest to pull out a silver pocket watch. He pushed it open and glared at the time before looking her way. "We'll stop for ten minutes to eat lunch," he answered, tone slightly annoyed. "Nothing longer than that."

Smiling, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face to the side of his. "Thank you!" she cheered, nuzzling her nose into the crook of his jawline. She could feel him tense up against her, hand pushing her aside as he took to sitting back in his own seat.

"Don't do that," he practically growled, hand reaching up to slick back his hair. He threw her a hard stare which only caused her to smile softly as she turned to look back out the window.

When the car pulled off to the side of the road, Luffy excitedly hopped out before Daz even had the chance to open the door. From the corner of her eye, she could see the other car—driven by Mr. Two—pull over behind them. Coby got out from the back, his wide eyes looking to her as she scurried by towards the fence.

Leaning over the fence, Luffy waved at one of the cows—trying her best to get its attention. The creature paid her no mind, though, simply sticking to chewing on some grass rather than looking her way. Pouting, she quickly climbed up the first board of the fence to _moo_ out at the animal.

"What are you doing?" Coby asked softly, hands reaching up to the top board of the fence to pull himself up. His curious stare searched the fields before them, lips perking up to form a smile. "I don't think it notices you."

"Well, I'll make her notice," Luffy said with determination. Raising one leg, she pushed it over the top of the fence before bringing the other leg around.

"_Un, deux, trois,_ where are you going?" a voice cried out from behind her.

Turning around once safely on the other side of the fence, she threw Mr. Two a smirk. "I'm going to go investigate," she informed him, smiling when she caught Coby fumbling over the fence after her. Her stare—on instinct—traveled past the man's shoulder to catch Crocodile off in the distance looking their way—arms crossed and face sporting a heavy frown.

"This seems illegal," Mr. Two began as his tone grew in excitement, "but trespassing onto a famer's land wouldn't be the _worst _I've done." With ease, he stepped over the fence, quickly following after Luffy and Coby.

With a wide grin, Luffy approached her victim—clearly oblivious to the group of humans eyeing it. Her hand gently reached out for the cow's back, tracing her soft fur for a moment. The old girl looked up at her, black eyes gleaming from the sunlight.

"_Mooooo,"_ Luffy sang sweetly, hand tracing up her neck to scratch at the ear.

"Moo!" Coby happily added, hands rubbing the side of her stomach. "Moo, moo!" he added before giggling softly.

"Step aside," Mr. Two proudly ordered as he lifted one of his long dancer legs up.

Widening her stare, Luffy couldn't help but laugh as the man straddled to poor cow, causing the animal to finally _moo_ out, probably frustrated.

With one hand rising up in the air, Mr. Two cheered. "That a girl!" he sang, patting the cow's bottom all the while. "_Un, deux, trois, _giddy up!" The cow mooed out again, louder as it turned to head towards another patch of grass. "She's a going!" the man practically yelped, as if regretting his decision to climb on top of her.

"Don't fall off!" Coby whined as he chased after the cow, leaving Luffy by herself as she giddily watched the scene unfold before her.

Mr. Two never even had a chance. He fell off the creature into a pile of grass, legs flying up high above him. "_OH!_" he groaned before sniffing. "That wasn't very graceful." A look of frustration crossed his face when he looked Luffy's way, frowning when he caught her laughing. Grabbing a handful of the grass, he threw it her way, smacking her across the face.

"Hey," she whined, quickly kneeling down to pull up some of her own grass. When she collected enough, she returned the gesture, frowning when the grass fell short midway, sprinkling down upon Coby.

"You're not a very good thrower," Mr. Two observed with a snort, jumping up and spinning around. "Not at all graceful," he added with a twirl, toes pointed upwards. "And not at all coordinated like me!"

Stomping her foot, Luffy took another handful of grass, making sure to run after the man as she threw. That time, she made it, smiling in triumph as the shredded plants covered Mr. Two's head, getting caught up in his hair.

"OH!" he exclaimed, tone shocked.

They continued the game for a long time, never noticing the hard stares being thrown their way from the killjoy trio.

* * *

She happily sat in the car, a box of fruit and mini-sandwiches upon her lap. Her legs gently kicked back and forth as she ate, expression gleeful. Nibbling on an apple slice, she absentmindedly glanced in Crocodile's direction, blinking at his grim expression and crossed arms.

"You reek of cattle," he commented coldly, brows lowering. He reached his hand out towards her, picking something out from her hair. His eyes dulled at the grass blade before tossing it out the window. "And we're late because of your little adventure with the cows."

Tilting her head, she fought back a smile. "Only by a few minutes, sir." Turning her attention back to her lunch box, she went for the sandwich. Taking a small bite, she swallowed and added, "You should have followed us—you might have had fun."

Crocodile huffed at that, clearly amused by her statement. "I don't find rolling around with barn animals as easily amusing as you do."

Luffy shrugged. "Your lost then." She paused, a small smirk forming before she quietly added, "sir."

* * *

Evening was just about dawning by the time they reached their destination, a lively city with bright lights and busy streets. Daz had parked the car in front of an exotic establishment, at least four levels tall and many windows built in—all illuminated with lights within.

Cocking her head, she did a quick arm stretch as she wondered about the car, waiting for Crocodile to get out. The others from the second car arrived shortly after, Mr. Two yawning as he turned the engine off.

A group of young men pushed past Luffy on the sidewalk, one of them eyeing her slowly as they went. She watched curiously as they went for the building before them, expressions cheerful. The doors opened and she could faintly hear the sound of soft laughter from within. She arched a brow as she tried to get a better look inside, frowning when the doors were slammed shut.

Daz's voice caught her attention. "Luffy," he called out, causing her to look his way. He was holding a large suitcase—Crocodile's overnight bag. "Carry this," he ordered when she approached him, shoving the heavy item into her arms.

Huffing, she shifted it in her arms so she could see properly, holding the case tightly against her stomach. "Where are we?" she questioned the driver, throwing another glance back at the building.

Daz glanced down at her, head tilting slightly. A small smile formed as he turned his attention towards the building. "Somewhere nice," he murmured before pushing past her to go close the trunk. "Go follow the boss in."

Nodding, she turned, eyes searching the path before her. She caught Mr. Five and Mr. Two heading straight for the door, Coby hesitantly following after. As her gaze continued its search, she found Crocodile standing off to the side, leaning against the gate as he lit a cigar.

Cocking a brow, she quickly approached him, waiting for further command. "I have your luggage, sir," she informed him, eyes darting down to the suitcase in her arms.

He nodded before slipping his lighter into a pocket. Walking by her, he took to the path leading to the door and she went after him. Upon the doors opening, Luffy found herself engulfed in a bright lights, the smell of lavender and vanilla in the air—mixed in with the hard scents of cigar and liquor.

To the right of her seemed to be a gambling center—people crowding around pool and poker tables, eyes exited and grins wide. To the left of her was a wide staircase upwards, with what appeared to be social rooms behind it. And to the front of her was a clerk desk, one that resembled something one would find at an inn.

Removing his cigar from his mouth, Crocodile approached the other men. "Boy," he began, staring down at Coby, "take my luggage to my room."

Nodding quickly, the kid took the suitcase from Luffy's arms and scurried up the stairs, as if he knew exactly where to go.

"And to everybody else," Crocodile continued, bringing the cigar back to his lips. "Enjoy yourselves tonight."

Daz and Mr. Five seemed rather happy at such an order, quickly disappearing into the depths of the establishment while Mr. Two simply just shrugged, glancing about awkwardly as if he had no idea what to do. Luffy shared his expression, hands folding together over her chest as she looked about.

Frowning, she glanced back up at Crocodile, sending him a confused stare. The older male tilted his head slightly before sighing and reaching down into his pocket. Pulling out a handful of coins, he handed them off to her. "It's just change, but I'm sure you can find _something_ to do," he offered her, turning around when a young woman approached them.

This girl—dressed in a rather revealing number—bowed her head slightly before Crocodile. "Greetings," she began before arising, hands gesturing off towards the staircase. "The Madame has been expecting you, Sir Crocodile."

Nodding, Crocodile followed after the young girl, leaving Luffy to cross her arms and pout. _Madame,_ she wondered, curious as to what type of establishment that place truly was. Arching a brow, she turned to glance at the casino portion, blinking as she took in the sight of more young females occupancy the gamblers—all dressed immodestly.

One of the girls pushed past her gently, hand holding onto that of an older red-faced gentlemen as they scurried up the stairs.

Widening her stare, Luffy looked Mr. Two's way, offering him a surprised expression. "Where exactly are we?" she questioned him when he looked down at her.

Doing a slight roll of the shoulders, the man smirked and answered, "It's _officially_ an inn, but, ah, well, there are other services provided." He offered Luffy a thin smile before adding, "Many of the country's richest come out here to divulge in some rather scandalous activities." He laughed then before twirling around to point towards the casino room. "Watch as the little vixens stalk their prey!"

Luffy did as such, eyes searching the room before catching one of the female employees approach a gentleman, hands slipping over his shoulders as she offered him a wink. They conversed for a moment—the flash of green bills being exchanged—and the next second, the girl was leading him away. "Is," she started, her voice soft before it grew. "Is this a _whore house_?"

Nodding happily, Mr. Two sang out, "_Un, deux, trois_, you've got it!"

Cupping her cheeks, Luffy felt skin heat up. _No no no! A brothel? He brought us to a __**brothel?**_ With wide eyes, she looked towards the staircase, brows arched high. _Who is he meeting with? The 'Madame'…why is he meeting with __**her**__?_ Something picked at her gut, causing her to frown and stomp her foot. _What does he __**need **__at a brothel?!_

"Are you alright?" Mr. Two asked, hand gently touching her shoulder. "You look like you're about to throw a fit."

Stiffening, Luffy glanced back his way, brows lowered and lips set in a firm line. "I'm fine," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I just…" Trailing off she pushed past the man. "I'm just going to find somewhere to sit."

Cocking his head, Mr. Two shrugged. "See you later then."

* * *

It wasn't easy, but after about eleven minutes of wondering about the first floor of the _inn_, Luffy found a vacant backroom, filled with wide sofas and pretty decorations. Sighing, she took to sitting down upon one of the sofas, crossing her legs as she threw her head back to look up at the ceiling.

Her stomach hurt, a feeling deep down inside causing her to feel both sad and angry—more anger than anything. With a grim expression, she fluttered her eyes shut, arms crossing tightly over her chest.

_Stupid old man…What does he need here that he can't get…That he can't get from __**me**__?_ She knew she shouldn't be thinking such things—that Crocodile was just a stepping stone to use in order to help Ace, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but feel angry that he would look to other girls. It wasn't like she felt any _deep_ connection to the man, but at the same time, it hurt her to think she wasn't good enough for whatever stupid needs he had.

Slumping back into the sofa, she opened her eyes when she heard the door to the room open, the sound of laughter entering her ears. Blinking, she watched as a woman—tall, graceful, and very chesty—enter the room, her long black hair flowing behind her with every step. Two younger girls followed after, beautiful by their own right, but nowhere close to the first woman.

"Oh?" one of the girls asked as she scurried towards Luffy, eyes wide as she leaned forward to get a good look. She had short choppy blonde hair and pink rosy cheeks. "Who is this?"

"A lost customer?" the other young girl asked, voice soft—almost a whisper. She seemed shy, innocent eyes lost behind brown locks of hair.

The first woman took to the opposite side of the room, legs crossing as she looked Luffy's way. She watched her for a moment, eyes hard as she appeared to be thinking something over. With a slightly tilt of her head, exposing the sharp curve of her jaw, she simply asked, "Why are you sitting in my personal waiting room, hmm?"

Blinking, Luffy shifted in her seat, glancing about when the blonde girl sat next to her—too close for comfort. "Oh, I didn't realize…" she began, but stopped when the girl reached out to tug gently on a lock of her hair. She went to pull back only to find herself pushing up against the other girl, who sat to the other side of her on the couch.

"Did you come here to look upon Madame's beauty?" the blonde girl asked, fingers reaching out to trace Luffy's jawline.

"Or perhaps you wanted something else?" the other young girl questioned, hands taking to her shoulders to give a tender squeeze.

"What—no," Luffy tried to cry out, face reddening from the sudden invasion of privacy. She couldn't figure out why these girls were doing what they did and all she wanted to do was to get out of there.

"No?" the older woman questioned, tone slightly curious. "You don't wish to look upon my beauty?" When Luffy looked her way, she caught a look of interest pass through the woman's eyes, fingers reaching out to play with the collar of her already very revealing outfit. "Would you not like to see…_more_ of me?"

Shaking her head, Luffy slowly answered "_no"_ prompting both girls to her sides to gasp and pull back in surprise. The woman's expression morphed into a look of anger.

"Don't lie, child," she snapped, arms falling to both sides of her chair as she glared Luffy's way. "I know you must be feeling flustered, looking upon my beauty."

Luffy shook her head again, cocking a brow in confusion. "Um, is it alright if I leave now?" When she went to get up, one of the girls took to her wrist to keep her seated on the couch.

"No so fast," the woman started as she pulled a lock of her hair over her shoulder to play with. "I'm curious—there is not a shred of you that doesn't find me appealing?"

Huffing, Luffy shrugged. "Yeah, sure, you're pretty—but so are a lot of girls here."

A look of horror crossed the woman's face, lips forming a heavy frown. "But am I not the prettiest?" She shifted in her seat, eyes searching Luffy's. "Do you not feel instant love and affection for me?"

"No?"

The woman flopped back, hand touching her forehead as she cried out a loud whimper. "How cruel!" she whined, face breaking out in a blush. "How can such an innocent looking girl say such cruel things?"

"Oh, Madame!" The blonde cried out as she left the sofa to rush over to the woman, kneeling down to hold her hand tightly. "She is blind to your beauty—that must be it!" The other girl abandoned the sofa to run over to the frantic woman, hands reaching out to grasp her forearm.

"Listen," Luffy began as she got up, inching her way to the door. "You're acting really weird and I didn't come here to be bothered by some strange woman with a beauty complex." Her hand reached out for the doorknob, but she stopped upon a sudden shriek.

The woman was standing before her then, looming tall and eyes full of tears as she searched Luffy's eyes. Soft hands took to Luffy's face, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head back tenderly. "No one has ever talked to me as you just did," the woman began, voice weak—trembling almost. There was a red tint to her face, almost as if she were flustered.

Luffy tried to pull away but the woman's hold on her was too strong.

"A fire has been alit in my gut," the woman continued, face inching closer to Luffy's. "A passion," she added after a soft gasp. "I have never felt this anger before but at the same time, I feel a hunger—a hunger I never knew I could receive from another!"

Swallowing, Luffy slowly placed her hands upon the woman's before stating, "Please let go of me."

The woman flailed back, arms crossing her chest as she rested herself against the wall. She proceeded to cup her own cheeks, eyes gleaming. "Is this what they call _love?_"

"Madame Hancock!" the blonde girl gushed, hands folding together under her chin. "Is it true? Do you feel love for this girl?"

"Congratulations, Madame!" the brunette added softly, face breaking out into a deep blush. "This is wonderful!"

"Oh," Hancock whimpered, lips pouting as she glanced back over to Luffy. "My girl, I've decided that you're the one."

Luffy took a step back, hands pressing together over her stomach as she sent the woman a coy look. "What do you mean?"

Straightening herself up, she went towards Luffy, hands reaching out to grab her shoulders. Pushing her gently against the wall, Hancock searched her eyes, brows arching. "I'm going to make you my personal pet." She paused, taking in Luffy's widened eyes. Glancing away, she whispered, "Don't look at me at like that—you're making me blush."

The door opened then, another young girl entering—the same that led Crocodile away. "Madame," she said softly, "Sir Crocodile is growing irritated while waiting for you—he demands you show up already."

An angry look crossed the woman's face, brows lowering and lips trembling. "That old man _demands_ something of me?" Pulling away from Luffy, she pointed her finger at the girl, back bending backwards. "You tell him he shall wait for however long I deem him to wait—and then some more!"

The girl nodded, face growing wide with fear. "Yes, yes, right away, Madame." When she turned to open the door, a pink mess of feathers quickly entered. "Oh, wait, sir—I need you to wait outside."

"Boa Boa Boa," Doflamingo cheerfully addressed as he waddled inside, hands deep within his pockets. "What's with the wait, huh?" His stare shifted over to Luffy, taking in her strange posture against the wall, Hancock standing before her with a flustered face. Smiling, his tongue dipped out across his lower lip. "I do believe I walked in at the right time."

"Do_**fla**_mingo!" she practically growled, pushing Luffy behind her in a protective manner. "Get out you disgusting bird!"

The man pulled his hands out of his pockets, arms reaching out as if he were about to embrace her. "Hancock, baby," he began sweetly. "I love it when you talk dirty to me." When he approached her, she brought her leg up swiftly to the side of his face, kicking him to the floor. Rubbing his cheek, he threw a devil of a grin up her way. "I love it even more when you're rough with little delicate me."

Grabbing her hips, Hancock glared down at him, expression scarier than any Crocodile could make. "I would never do anything with you, filth," she snapped. "I have half a mind to cancel this meeting so that I won't have to share anymore of the same air as you."

Sitting up, Doflamingo cocked a smirk. "You have no idea what you're doing to me, babe," he cooed, hands reaching behind his head. "Getting me all hot and flustered—how about we forget about that bore Crocodile and have a little one on one time, just to ourselves?"

"No," she growled, crossing her arms and taking a step back when he stood up.

"Okay, okay," he started, pressing his hands up to stop her. "You want to include Crocodile—that's fine, I can handle that. I mean, it might get a little awkward because I'm pretty sure he'll just lie there like a dead fish, but we can make it work."

"_NO!_" she repeated, pointing one slender finger into his face. "Get it through your thick skull!"

He shot his hands up in a defensive manner, taking a step back from her invasive finger. "Alright, alright, I hear ya! So you want to include everybody here-that's _perfectly_ alright. We'll make this the orgy of the century." He dodged another one of her kicks, laughing all the while.

Frowning, Hancock gave a slight snarl before saying, "Let's just get this meeting over with so I can get rid of you sooner." She turned to Luffy, expression melting into that of an innocent maid. "My dear, wait for me!" Cupping her cheeks, she smiled softly before twirling around to scurry out the door after Doflamingo.

"Oh," one of the girls whispered softly, causing Luffy to turn around. "Marguerite, what are we to do with her?"

The blonde cocked a brow, grabbing her hips as she eyed Luffy. "Maybe we should _tutor_ her a bit if she is to be Hancock's lover?"

The tall brunette blushed, covering her mouth as she giggled at the comment. "Yes, maybe we should?" she agreed.

Stiffening, Luffy pressed herself farther against the wall when the two girls began to make their way to her, eyes hinting at something sinister. "H-hey," she cried out weakly, eyes widening when Marguerite took her wrist.

"Hush," the blonde whispered, pressing her finger to Luffy's lips. "We're just going to give you a few pointers so that when you go tend to Hancock's needs, you'll know what to do."

Shaking her head, Luffy quickly stated, "I don't want to tend to her needs, though." She gasped as she was pushed back into the sofa, head landing upon the taller girl's lap.

Marguerite proceeded to straddle her waist, knees dipping to each side of Luffy's chest. "You have to," she objected. "Madame has chosen you as her lover—you can't be so cruel as to withhold fulfilling her needs!"

"That's right," the other girl added, hands holding Luffy's arms back to stop her wiggling. "We'll show you all the right things to do in order to make Madame swoon."

"First," Marguerite began softly, fingers tracing waist slowly, "don't be afraid to take what you want—be _bold_ and allow your hunger to show."

"Be uncaring but tender," the other girl added softly, hands folding together with Luffy's. "And don't be too afraid to experiment."

"She's right," Marguerite agreed as one of her hands dipped down between her legs. "And don't be afraid to pinch where's there fat." She clamped down two fingers on Luffy's thigh, causing her body to tense up and her face to fluster.

"And most importantly, don't be too afraid to take her in your mouth," the other girl began, only to stop when the door opened.

A figure appeared, eyes on the floor as he entered. "Are you in here, Doflamingo?" When he glanced up, his once dull expression morphed into surprise, eyes widening as he took in the scene of Luffy pinned between the two girls—her face pink and breathing slightly heavy.

"Uh, uh…" He stumbled around for the right words to say, hand tight on the door knob.

With an angry expression, Marguerite sternly informed him, "No men! This is a _private_ session. _GET OUT_!"

With a weak stare, Luffy glanced over to the intruder, eyes growing even wider than his. "_Law?_" she cried out. Since the girls were distracted, she had enough time to wiggle free, falling to the floor to quickly jump up and scurry towards the man. "Save me!" she practically begged, grabbing his wrist and leading him out of the room.

"No!" the girls cried. "You need to come back! What about the Madame?"

With no time to send a look back, Luffy led the silent Law throughout the casino, eyes searching for a proper hiding spot. When she couldn't find one inside, she decided the next best place was to hide outside in the gardens. With ease, she pushed the doors open, running out into the night and towards a secluded hedge-like setting, isolated from the rest of the gardens.

Breathing heavily, she released Law's wrist to flop over a love seat, resting her head into her hands so she could calm herself. After a moment, she glanced over to her friend, frowning slightly at his blank expression.

He looked tensed, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Slowly, he took a seat beside her, arm hanging off the side of the armrest. His legs stretched out before him and he slumped back, eyes searching the night sky above them.

"I apologize for walking in on you like that," he blankly stated. His jaw clenched. "You were in the middle of…of _something_, and I rudely just walked in and it was wrong on my behalf and I'm sorry and…"

Luffy stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulder frantically, earning his attention. "_That_ wasn't my doing," she tried to explain. "I'm not really sure how it happened, but those two girls were teaming up on me and one thing turned into another and if you didn't come in, I don't know what would have happened!"

A heavy breath of air escaped his mouth. "I think I have an idea," he quietly responded, shifting his stare away from hers. Even in the dark, she could see his dark cheeks heat up, prompting her to smack his arm.

"Don't think that of me!" she whined, hiding her face beneath her hands afterwards from the sheer embarrassment of the situation. "I would never…never…" She couldn't even finish the sentence.

"You wouldn't?" he questioned, voice hinting at amusement.

Tensing up, she sent him a hard stare, surprised he would even dare to continue the conversation. "No," she answered firmly before widening her stare. "Besides, how about _you?_ What are you doing in that part of the inn?"

His expression lighted up, a smirk forming. "Are you trying to turn this conversation around on me?" he asked, perking up as he searched the serious look in her eyes. "_I_ was just looking for my boss, yet you were the one engaging with the, uh…" He paused, unsure of how to finish his statement.

Luffy gave him no time to think it over. She quickly took both sides of his shirt collar and shook him. "I wasn't engaging with the hookers!" she cried with frantic eyes. "Don't think that!"

One of his hands took to her wrist, holding onto her as she held onto him. "What am I to think when I catch you like that, hmm?" he questioned, cocking one brow. "I would have never guessed that a maid like you would be into that sort of thing…"

Luffy's mouth opened, a gasp hiding in her throat. She couldn't allow him to simply say such things without trying to throw out a proper comeback. "Is that what you're into?" she asked, making sure that her tone sounded shocked. "Watching people doing freaky things?"

Law shook his head with wide eyes, brows arching as he shifted in his seat to fully face her. "No—stop, don't you dare try to make me look like the pervert here." His other hand took her other wrist. "I'm just an _innocent _bystander in all this."

"Sure, sure," she slowly responded, as if she didn't believe him. "I'll just have to make sure to lock my doors from now on." She pulled one of her hands back to hide a giggle when he threw her an open-mouth shocked look.

"You're manipulating the entire situation!" he informed her before quickly adding, "Stop making me out as a pervert here. You'll give me a bad name."

Luffy shook her head, laughing once more. "A mob doctor who has secret fetishes? You get more and more interesting every time I run into you."

Law threw her a dull look, lips firm. "I told you already—I'm not a mob doctor." Pausing, he stiffened and said, "And I don't have any fetishes."

Smiling softly, Luffy allowed the topic to die at that, eyes lifting upwards towards the night sky. She watched little lights shine, surrounding the full moon that dumped blue rays down upon the gardens. For a moment, she sat quietly, taking in how relaxing everything was, from the soft sounds of a nearby fountain to the enchanting smells of flowers to Law holding her hand—

Her gaze fell to her hand, taking in the sight of his upon hers, fingers curling around the edge of her pointer finger. If it had been any other man, she would have slipped her hand away, yet, for some strange reason, she didn't mind Law's grip. Looking away, she felt her cheeks warm up and heartbeat pick up.

They spent the next hour under the heavens chatting of simple things—dreams, experiences, goals in life, and everything in between.

* * *

Luffy lead the way up the stairs, occasionally throwing Law a concerned look behind her. "I think they're up here," she explained. "At least, that's where I saw my master go—and he was to meet with this strange woman and your boss."

Law shrugged as he moved past her, stopping at the last step as he glanced back and forth down the hallways. "I wouldn't know," he began. "This is my first time here."

"Mine as well."

With a slight shrug, Law took the lead, walking down one side of the hallway and then down the other. They continued this search for a few more minutes until the man just about seemed fed up. Crossing his arms, he threw Luffy a defeated look. "I have no idea where to look for them."

Tapping her chin, Luffy turned at the sound of a door opening, eyes widening when she caught the familiar shape of her employer. "Over there," she quickly told Law, pointing down the hall. "They're over there."

Luffy approached the middle of the hallway, making sure as to not intrude. Crocodile's stare caught her and she could see a heavy look of annoyance in his eyes, as if he were just completely done with the day. Following him out the door was the bird, a pink arm crossing over Crocodile's shoulder.

"Everything is going so smoothly, Croco-man," Doflamingo declared, voice loud. "We're bound to hit them where it hurts soon enough."

With a disgusted look, he shrugged the younger male's arm off of him, pushing past to head towards Luffy. "I've grown tired," he informed her, eyes slowly glazing over to Law for a brief second. "It's time that I retired to my room—let's go."

Blinking, Luffy nodded before turning to face Law. "I have to go now; it was nice chatting with you, Law." When she went to turn, she was stopped by his hand touching her arm.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me tomorrow?" he asked her. "There is a popular restaurant down the street that I saw while coming into town that I would like to try, but I'm afraid I have nobody to go with."

A weak whine filled the area from the back of the hallway. "You have papa flamingo," Doflamingo called out, head tilting in their direction away from the girl he was chatting up. "You can take me out to breakfast!"

Law's expression grew to that of annoyance and he took a deep breath as he looked to Luffy. "Yes?" he asked her once more, trying to ignore the needy flamingo behind them.

When Luffy went to answer, somebody took her shoulder—ripping her away from Law's gentle touch. Glancing up, she caught a look of frustration cross Crocodile's face as he pulled her behind him. "You seem to forget that she has duties to tend to as a maid," he stated, tone stern—unwelcoming. "Even if we are not at my estate, she is still expected to perform her job."

Law sent the man a hard stare, eyes darting down to Luffy quickly before traveling back to Crocodile's. "I apologize—I didn't realize she had that many tasks to tend to, but I can understand now, what with her client being elderly. I can only imagine what difficulties you have because of such and how much you rely on her."

Crocodile's stare hardened, jaw clenching. He turned, hand pushing Luffy down the hallway. "Doflamingo," he began, voice cold, "you should teach your _boy_ some manners—he might end up losing that quick tongue of his one day."

The bird lifted his head away from his new female companion, expression that of confusion. "Huh?" he asked, clearly not interested. "What was that?"

Crocodile kept quiet as he continued to lead Luffy down the hall, fingers digging into her shoulder. Once inside his room, he pushed her against the wall, not seeming to care if she whimpered out in protest.

"Mind explaining that little scene there?" he asked harshly, hand sliding up her neck to hold her in place. When she tried to wiggle free, he dipped his thumb in towards her throat, stopping any movements she was making. "I believe I asked you a question," he stated when she remained silent.

Furrowing her brows, she quickly answered, "I don't know what you want me to explain—he's my friend." She brought her hands up to hold onto his wrist.

"Friend," he repeated with an amused look. _"__**Friend**__."_ Pulling away from her, he tossed his coat onto his bed—made up of blood red sheets with heart shaped pillows. "He's playing you for a fool," he said then with a low chuckle. "And you're gullible enough to buy it."

Rubbing her neck, she sent him a confused stare. "I don't understand…"

"You never seem to do," Crocodile commented as he went to a mirror to undo his scarf. He took a moment to himself, his smirk reflecting in the mirror. "He's only trying to sweet talk you into revealing information about _me_."

Flexing her fist, she shook her head. "I wouldn't, though…I know better."

"Do you?" he asked, turning his attention to her. "I would hope so—you wouldn't want to disappoint me now, would you?"

"No, sir."

With a thin smile, he tossed his scarf aside upon the bed. "A word of advice: Don't give out your trust so easily—look out for yourself, always, and you'll live longer that way." Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he kicked his shoes off before running his hand up the side of his face to squeeze the bridge of his nose. "It's been a long day," he commented quietly, voice tired. "That bird bastard and Hancock bitch went on and on the entire meeting, squawking at each other like they were children."

Silently, Luffy slipped her shoes off and took to the bed behind him, bringing her hands up his back and to his shoulders. She had learned during the past week that massaging his back seemed to ease his mind. And since she didn't want to experience anymore of his temper in regards to Law, she decided that perhaps doing this for him would be best at that moment.

Crocodile moved his head to the side, offering her more muscle to work on. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips as she went, as a way to let her know she was doing a good job. "Doflamingo comes to me practically begging for my help but whenever I try to get anything done, he treats everything as a game—I have half a mind to pull out from this arrangement."

"But then what if they go after you?" she asked softly, eyes searching his when he cocked his head up to look up at her.

"Worried?"

Luffy hid her face so he couldn't see her expression and she remained silent. Of course she was worried—worried for Ace. With Crocodile going after those two clans, there would be more chances for her to collect information and secrets, but if he pulled out from the plan, what would happen then? Would he go into hiding from Teach? Would he charge after Teach all by himself? And what good would that do?

Frowning slightly, she nodded her head against his back, resting her forehead against him and keeping her hands to his shoulders. She scooted back upon feeling him lean back, watching as he fell down on the bed with his head on her lap, eyes looking up to hers.

Slowly, his gaze drifted upwards to the ceiling, expression going blank. He pressed his hand upon her hand that was lying on his shoulder, eyes fluttering shut as he open his mouth to breath. "You remind me of myself when I was much younger," he started. "Back when I was a child…naïve and gullible and so _**damn**_ trusting of others."

Luffy opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

"You're much more innocent than I ever was," he added with a slight shrug. "And that's what I hate about you—_loathe_, really." His eyes open and they looked to hers. "Sometimes I wish you'd just wake up and face reality, but other times…when I see that gleam in your eyes…" His hand left hers, reaching out to cup her cheek, unable to finish his sentence.

Luffy brought her hand in towards his face, fingers weaving into a lock of raven hair.

Crocodile pulled his hand down to tug at her necklace, thumb brushing its smooth edge. "Some people surround themselves with lavish items, yet they never truly have anything nice to call their own." He stopped at that, his hand falling down across his chest.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

After a few moments of them sitting like that, with Luffy brushing her fingers throughout his hair, she pulled away from under his lap to crawl down the bed. Slowly, she got on top of him, straddling his waist and watching as his expression grew, eyes widening slightly—curious—_intrigued_.

Since their time in the tub, this was the first time she got on top—more importantly, it was her first time trying to initiate sex, hands running up his waist as Marguerite's did on hers. Breathing softly, she reached for his neck, slipping her fingers down under his collar to caress his skin.

His hand ran up her skirt along the side of her thigh, stopping at her hip. A mixture of emotions traveled across his face, going from doubt to acceptance in a manner of seconds. Luffy knew he was the type to want to stay on top—to _dominate_—but she had a feeling he wouldn't mind this side of her.

This _bolder_ side.

Pulling out one of her hands, she took to his discarded scarf, lifting it up and bringing it towards his face. His hand took her wrist, stopping her as a concerned look crossed his eyes.

"Trust me," she asked of him.

He eyed her sternly for a long second. "I don't trust anyone," he responded, but he released her hand nevertheless. His jaw clenched as she took to placing the scarf above his eyes, hands grabbing both ends to tie it behind his head.

Her heart pounded hard, mind scrambling as she tried to figure out what to do next. She had him to her will, sprawled up and blindfolded—walls practically down and allowing her in to do as she wished. Swallowing, she lowered herself to his lips, hands cupping both sides of his face as she took him there.

_Start easy_, she told herself as she ran her tongue across his bottom lip—something he did to her many times before. His hand slid up to her waist, tugging her down to the side so that he could get on top. Grabbing his hand, she stopped him, pushing it down upon the bed. "No," she breathed into his ear. "Let me do this."

Sliding a hand down, she went to undo his shirt and vest buttons, mouth trailing down as more and more skin became available to her. She wasn't sure if what she was doing was the proper thing to do, but all she had to work with was what he did to her. Luffy figured that if she thought it felt nice when he did it, then it should feel just as good when she did it.

When all buttons were undone, she slid her hand to his pants, fingers working his belt. She could feel him harden up through the fabric, pressing into her lower abdomen. She was sure then that she was doing it right.

Luffy unzipped his pants and reached inside, drawing out his member, fingers tracing up the shaft gently. She could see his breathing pick up, the muscles in his lower abdomen twitch at every touch. Taking a deep breath, she did what that girl from earlier said not to be afraid to do: take him in her mouth.

She was very hesitant at first, opening her mouth enough to press the very tip in. A low groan came to life from Crocodile, his fingers digging into blanket beneath him. "Wider," he advised her. "_Don't_ bite."

Luffy widened her mouth, slowly pushing more of him inside, lowering her brows as he touched the roof of her mouth. Quicker than she first imagine, her mouth became filled with him, his smooth skin running along her tongue. Her hand took to the base, and she pulled her head up to release him.

She looked to him, searching his expression to see if she was doing it correctly. He looked _pleased_, but it was hard to tell from her angle. Swallowing, she returned her mouth to him, taking him in once more.

After a minute of doing this—his thigh muscles contracting to both sides of her—the turning of the door knob halted her movements. With frantic eyes, she pulled away from him and took his coat, throwing it over herself when the door went flying open.

She felt Crocodile's stomach press up against the top of her head as he sat up quickly, hand falling down upon his coat to keep it on her. "What the fuck?" he snarled. "What the _actual _fuck?"

"_Crocodile!"_ Doflamingo's voice—slurred a bit—filled the room along with the soft laughter of women. "I've finally found you." He paused, a laugh coming to life afterwards. "You kinky bastard—who do you have hiding under there?"

"Get out. _**Now**_," Crocodile snapped back, hand pressing harder against his coat.

There was a dip in the bed, as if somebody—somebody _large—_got in. "Don't be so cruel, Croco-man," Doflamingo sang. "I came in to ask if you would like to help woo Hancock into bed—she seemed like she wanted to try a three way earlier."

"If you don't fucking leave this moment, I'll have no choice but to kill you."

Doflamingo laughed. "Look at you, all flustered up in the face. Really, who do you have under there?" The coat moved slightly, as if somebody were trying to lift it up.

Something must have stopped him because the bed shook, as if somebody had just jumped off of it. "No need to throw a fist," Doflamingo sneered. "Everybody is picking on me today—earlier it was Hancock when I caught her flirting up your maid."

"My maid?" Crocodile asked, voice still hard.

"Yeah, yeah," the bird clucked. "The old lady had her practically gushing against the wall—it made me jealous." After a second, he added, "I'm thinking if you get your little maid involved, we can get Hancock into bed with me—you can join in as well; I know I'm irresistible."

"I've had enough of your shit today, flamingo," Crocodile responded. "I'm tired—get out."

A low whine filled the room followed by a dull huff. "Come on ladies, the old man is a bore—just like I said he would be." The sound of footsteps filled the room, followed by the door slamming.

Crocodile huffed out. "Bastard," he commented as he got up from the bed to go lock the door.

Luffy peered out from under the coat, watching as he turned to look her way—pants off. "Get undressed," he ordered then. "I'm finishing this."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

**Luffy: **_Mooooooo_

**Coby: **_Mooooooo_

**Mr. Two:**_ Mooooooo_

**Daz &amp; Mr. Four &amp; Crocodile: **(-_-) Let's just leave them behind.

* * *

**Next time:** A day around town and Luffy gets to pretend she's of high social status. More fluff but also some rough kink.

* * *

**A/N:** I know I didn't mention it, but Crocodile didn't go spend time with any hookers—that was just Luffy worrying? Being paranoid?

* * *

**A/N2:** So I'm approaching 1oo reviews on this story! First, thank you _**SO**_ much for sticking with this story and supporting it—it really means a lot to me! I want to add a little one-shot side chapter when I reach review 1oo, and I've come up with three ideas, so if you like any, please state so (I'll kind of make it like a vote, whichever seems the most popular, I'll write.) Again, these are just single chaptered side stories that don't take place at the same time as the plot is right now, if that makes sense.

1\. Luffy and Crocodile attend a carnival in the city. Lots of fluff and adorable moments to ensue, where Luffy tries to show Crocodile how to have a good time. (No Smut**) (3 votes so far)(Most likely going to be the winner since there's only about 5 reviews left til 100)**

2\. Crocodile has to go attend a masquerade dance to keep up with social status. Luffy can't go because she is a maid, but she gets a wee bit jealous, so—along with Sanji and Usopp—the three sneak in with their own costumes. Luffy—in disguise—ends up trying to seduce Crocodile while pretending to be another woman. (Will have smut**) (2 votes so far)**

3\. Luffy ends up taking Crocodile's last cigar to piss him off, and he has to search the entire estate to find her because he can't go long without a smoke. If he ever finds her, what punishment will he have in store for the little maid? (Smut as well as Crocodile POV) **(2 votes so far)**

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Noooo. Nobody said anything about pregnant Luffy! *glares at future plot points I had planned* Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting!

**IMadeThisUp: **Oh my, I'm happy it did. And I hope Boa came across satisfactory in this chapter! Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting!

**Starlight555:** Thank you so much! :'D Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting!

**Rodessalorenzo:** Ohhhh thank you! I didn't realize it had that high of a success rate! :O I think I read that if the guy knows how to do it properly, then the success rate it pretty good, but if not, the success rate is bad. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Son of Whitebeard:** Thank you :3

**Guest:** OH MY GOSH I HAD NO IDEA MY TUMBLR ASK WAS OFF! D: Thank you so much for bringing that up. It's open! TUMBLR ASK IS OPEN D'X Thanks for reading the story!

**Yuki Rivaille:** It's totally fine! I'm just happy you're sticking around to even read this story! The support is highly appreciated and I luff you so much for it! :'D Jealousy is going to play a key role in this story, as we can see it hinted just a bit with Croco and Law. Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting!

**Mingo:** Haha, I'm glad you're liking it! Thank you reading/reviewing/voting!

**Falmingo Bastard: **I'm glad you enjoyed drunk Doffy! I try to dumb down Luffy as much as possible to a point…I mean, I don't think Luffy is *that* dumb canon wise, and I've tried to have this version of Luffy do some stupid things (such as go with Crocodile when he offered her a job, *stay* with Crocodile, go back to the mansion to help Ace, etc…) Those aren't smart choices, but again, I'm trying to work on dumbing Luffy down some more. Crocodile—if he finds out—will most likely lose his shit, big time. Whaaaaaat babies? I said nothing about babies. No babies here. Shanks is going to have a bigger role towards the second half of the story. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Anon:** LoL I hope you'll survive! Nooooooooo what? People keep bringing up pregnant Luffy and I'm just here trying to keep future plot development points from slipping out of my hands and I'm going to shut up now. Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting! :D


	16. Side Story 1 - The Missing Cigar

**Side story in celebration for this story reaching 1oo reviews—thank you so much for reading and supporting this story!**

**This does **_**not**_** take place during the same time/place where we last left off in this story (when they're at Boa's). Entirely different time/day/side event/okay I think you got the idea now. Enjoy!**

**ALSO: Smut so when you see "oOoOo" you're entering M-rated territory etc. etc. etc….**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command| Side Story 1|** The Missing Cigar

Tapping his fingers heavily upon his desk, Crocodile listened to the bird squawk on the other end of the phone. His expression remained dull—annoyance creeping in quick in the back of his mind. He had half a mind to end the call right there and then.

"_You understanding all this, Croco-man?_" Doflamingo asked, voice heavy with excitement. "_I need to know you're not going to fuck me over on the Mexico trade route._"

With a deep sigh, Crocodile simply stated, "I don't have any affiliates down that way, nor do I have any interest in making any."

The bird took a moment to answer, the clicking of his tongue filling Crocodile's ear. "_Well,_" he began slowly with curiosity lacing his tone, "_where __**do**__ you trade?_"

He couldn't help but smirk at the question. "Unlike you," he answered calmly, "I know better than to blab. An idiotic bird such as yourself doesn't need to know such information."

The younger male huffed, causing him to grip the phone tightly in his hand and frown. He so dreaded Doflamingo's tendency to whine—there was only so much he could handle from that man.

_I may end up wringing his neck before we even get anywhere with this…alliance_, Crocodile mused, smiling at the thought. _It would be nice, to prop that man's head up on a plack—it would tie this office together nicely._ His eyes flickered over to the _perfect_ spot, right above the fireplace.

"_Fufufufu_," Doflamingo chuckled, causing Crocodile to tense up. "_You're lucky that I allow you to talk down to me as you do—I do enjoy listening to your poor attempts to throw an insult."_ Pausing for a second, he quickly added, "_I was once told that when boys say cruel things to others, that's their way of expressing their love…do you love me?"_

It was Crocodile's turn to huff, fighting back the _**strong**_ urge to end the call. "It must be a struggle, having such a little brain and not being able to focus on the issue at hand." Pressing the phone between his shoulder and ear, he began to tap heavily upon his desk once again. "Maybe I should put you out of your misery?"

"_Oh, Croco-man, please continue talking dirty to me—it ruffles up all of the __**right**__ feathers."_

That was it. "We'll continue this conversation when you can learn how to converse like an adult." As he went to hang up the phone, he heard the blonde's crackle of a laugh from the receiver, sending a chill down his spine.

_I __**hate**__ that man._

Slumping back in his chair, he brought his hand to the bridge of his nose, trying to rub away some of the tension. It seemed like every interaction with that fool left him in a sour mood. The guy was only a handful of years younger than him, yet he acted a child most of the time. Teaming up with Doflamingo seemed at times—at _most_ times—to be more troublesome than going against Teach and Edward.

With a deep breath, Crocodile decided not to pay anymore thought about the _hilariously_ pathetic flamingo. He had a long day and he was in no mood to waste his time concerning himself with anymore of Doflamingo's games. Leaning forward, he reached out for his cigar box—there was one waiting for him, the very last one. He purposely withheld from smoking it all day, knowing that he would need it after his call with the bird—his only true method with coping with such _stress_.

With a slight smile, he flipped the lid back, expecting to find his treat.

Empty.

Blinking twice, Crocodile cocked a brow as his lips formed a firm line, hand holding onto the lid tightly. He picked the box up, turning it upside down to shake it, _hoping_ a cigar would fall out.

None did.

Placing it down, he frowned, pushing back against his chair as he scratched at his head. He was _positive_ he left one in there, remembering how he strictly ordered himself not to smoke it until after his phone call. _But where the fuck is it?_

His hand fell to his armrest, eyes glazing across his office towards his door. He sat there for a moment, pondering how a cigar could just up and leave like that. It was there one moment but then gone another? Something must have happened in between.

But what?

Or, perhaps…_who?_

Crocodile's gaze hardened as he began to once again tap his fingers, mind quickly putting the pieces together. Fact: He definitely had a cigar waiting for him—there was no denying it. Fact: He also had a little thief under his employment.

Fact: said little thief had access to his office.

_Fact: little thief is turning out to be a little shit._

Crocodile arose from his chair, throwing one last glance towards the empty cigar box. He couldn't help but smirk, even if he was on the verge of anger. _She honestly believes she can play this game with __**me**__?_

Loosening up his tie, he went for the door, pushing it open hard as he glanced down the hallway. _Where is she hiding?_ There were only so many places she could be—but where would he start? Where was the most likely place she would run to?

There was the kitchen, a likely place he figured. He knew full well about her little trips there in the middle of the night, how much she acted upon her hunger. Even though a tiny creature, she had one hell of an appetite.

He decided then that would be the best place to start.

Heading down the staircase, he quickly—but calmly—went to the kitchen, eyes searching the area as he went. Smells from that day's dinner still lingered in the hall, only leading him to put more faith in his assumptions that she would seek shelter there.

Entering, he eyed the young chef inside—his back to him as he did the dishes. "Boy," he dully called out, causing the blonde to jump up in surprise and quickly twirl around, dish soap running down his forearms.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, eyes wide and voice weak—submissive—_afraid._

Crocodile always found it pleasing when his servants talked with such tones, implying that they knew their place when in his presence. "Where is she?"

The chef blinked once before cocking his head slightly. "Who, sir?"

"The maid," he answered, eyes glazing over to glance towards the cabinets.

"Tsuru?"

Crocodile rolled his eyes. "No, idiot, the other one." He approached the cabinets, opening one slowly to get a good look inside. "I know she's in here."

"Luffy?" the boy questioned, voice sporting a hint of confusion. "Ah, no, sir—she isn't in here. I haven't seen her since she cleaned up the dining hall…Is there something the matter?"

He threw a dull stare his way, closing the cabinet door when he couldn't find her inside. "You wouldn't happen to know where she would have run off to, would you?" His eyes searched the boy's, watching as the confusion grew even more. _He knows nothing…_Before the chef had the chance to respond, Crocodile took his leave, realizing he would find nothing useful there.

So she wasn't dumb enough to hide in the obvious place, he gave her credit for that—but not much. It was only _sheer _luck that she escaped him in the kitchen.

He gave a quick once over in the dining hall before continuing his search onward, heading for the social room. Perhaps she was hiding behind a curtain in there? Something as obvious and cheesy as that screamed her name and he smirked at the thought of her surprised expression when he caught her.

Upon entering the room, he glanced about, frowning when he took to the curtains to find no thief—nothing. It was utterly empty and clean and disappointing. He brought his hand back up to the side of his head, fingers weaving into his hair as he briefly frowned.

She was creative enough to figure she would last longer hiding somewhere he didn't frequent often. So what? Didn't mean he wouldn't find her—no, not at all.

He _would_ find her, he was sure of that, but it was a matter of _when _he would do as such.

Turning around, he headed towards the staircases, a curious expression forming on his face. There was always the servants' quarters. It wouldn't surprise him if he caught her lurking around down there, probably hiding in her room as a child would do.

He frowned at the dull taste of it all as he went down the stairs. It certainly wasn't very creative if she was indeed there and he found himself growing annoyed. Heading straight for her room, he pushed it open without knocking, hoping to catch her off guard.

The ugly room was just as empty as the others.

Sighing, he took to kneeling down to look under the cot, eyes growing dull when he found nothing but boxes down there. Sitting down, he rested his hand on his knee, eyes glancing across the room.

_Where the hell is she?_

A grim look crossed his face.

_She wouldn't go all the way out to the hunting grounds, would she?_

Flexing his fist, he lowered his brows before pushing himself back up. Going all the way out there was just crossing the line—Crocodile was just about through with the game of hide and seek. He wanted his cigar.

_Now._

He could just picture her, sitting out there with that stupid smirk on her face hiding _his_ cigar. There were acres upon acres of land and if she thought he would even entertain the thought of searching for her over that way, she had another thing coming.

Crocodile shrugged as he left her room, a small smirk coming to life upon his face. _I'll just wait for her to slink back in, when it gets too cold and she'll have no choice but to come back. And then…then I'll show her what happens when she takes things that don't belong to her._

He went for his room, throwing his tie aside upon entering. There was not much day left, what with the sun setting very soon. It was only a matter of time when the temperature outside dropped, prompting her to scurry back inside.

Sitting down upon the edge of his bed, he slid his shoes off before stretching his legs out, hoping to have a moment to relax. His gaze fell from the ceiling to the floor, eyes glazing over the inch of black fabric peeking out from under the bed covers to look over to his window.

Blinking, he quickly glanced back down, cocking a brow at the foreign material. His eyes narrowed as he leaned towards it a bit, tilting his head to the side briefly. Pulling back the cover, he frowned when he found that the fabric was part of a uniform.

The inch of clothing was quickly tugged inwards, under the depths of his bed.

_I can't fucking believe her right now_, he thought as he leaned even more forward to look under the bed. He found a pair of round eyes looking back at him, and small smile forming. Huffing, he couldn't help but ask, "You were hiding _here_ the entire time?"

"Hiding?" she questioned softly, eyes glancing away as she brought her fist to the side of her face—something she had a habit of doing, although, he was sure she did it on purpose at times. "I'm not hiding."

"Then what reason do you have for you being under my bed?"

Blinking, the girl shrugged before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She remained silent, eyes slowly glancing back to meet his.

Shaking his head, he decided there was no point in trying to force an answer out of her. There was nothing logical she could come up with to explain _why_ she was down there. And besides, he had something more important to bring up.

"Where is it?" he asked, tone harsh. "I know you took it."

Luffy cocked her head to the side. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Crocodile dulled his expression. "I'm in no mood to continue this game," he stated then, reaching his hand under the bed. When she scooted away, he decided he would just have to get a bit rough with her—he _didn't_ exactly mind.

Grabbing her ankle, he stood up and began to pull her out, smirking at her childish protests. She gave a good fight, clearly holding onto something down there—perhaps the bedpost—and making the task difficult for him, but with the right tug, he got her out—his body falling back along the way.

Huffing, he sat up, eyes taking in her sloppy state—hair messy, cheeks red, skirt brushed up high, revealing the edge of her stockings. Something was tucked in there, he noticed then, eyes narrowing at the sight of the budge against her outer thigh.

"You…" he began before trailing off, hand reaching out for her skirt. The girl tried to push her uniform down as he tugged upwards, but he was stronger, pulling it back enough to reveal his prize. His gaze flickered up to her eyes, a smirk forming upon his lips. "I knew you had it," he commented as he slid his hand up her leg, fingers wrapping around his cigar and plucking it out of stocking.

The thief brought her hands to both sides of her face, a shocked expression coming to life as her eyes widened and her lips parted ways. "Oh!" she exclaimed, looking down at the cigar. "How did that get _there_?"

"You tell me," he responded as he ran the cigar under his nose to take in familiar relaxing scents. While he had a strong need to smoke it then, his desires to punish the maid were stronger, prompting him to slide the cigar into his shirt pocket and lean her way. Grabbing her hip, he tugged her closer to him before dipping his waist between her legs to hover over her. "I don't appreciate being robbed," he reminded her, fingers tracing up her waist as his eyes searched her wide stare.

A soft pink took to her cheeks as she turned her head to glance away, causing him to reach up and pinch her chin. He hated it when she tried to act bashful, as if she thought she could blush her way out of her mistakes. Yet, at the same time, such innocent looks drew a hunger out of him, causing an animalistic desire deep inside to start peeking out.

Crocodile forced her to look his way, thumb brushing over that soft lower life. It felt nice, that little flap of flesh and he especially loved how her brows furrowed together over such touches. He decided then that he would make her scream out his name in utter pleasure as punishment, driving her to the brink of madness if he could.

Reaching under her head, he took to grabbing onto a handful of her hair tightly. A small cry of a whimper escaped her when he forced her crown back, revealing that delicate jawline of hers. Pressing his lips to it, he whispered, "I believe I deserve a prize for finding you." His hand pulled her hair back even more. "And you, little thief, deserve to be punished for stealing my cigar." When she made a soft mewl of a whine, his lips formed a thin smile against her jawline. It was music to his ears to hear such sounds—to know that _he_ could make a bashful maid such as her make lewd noises.

Crocodile's gaze narrowed as he looked upon her face, taking in her flustered state. No matter what she said or how many glances she casted aside, the look in her eyes revealed her desires—she _liked_ it, even if she would never admit it, and he could see the curiosity and hunger swimming around in her, practically _begging_ him to take her.

Releasing her hair, he pressed his hand to her neck, fingers wrapping around the heart of her necklace. He so enjoyed seeing that collar on her—his mark to the world that she was _his_. His thumb ran across the smooth surface for a moment, eyes looking to hers as she breathed softly beneath him. Her heartbeat was strong and he could feel her pulse in her neck.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Pulling away from her neck, he reached down for the first button of her uniform, fingers working together to undo it. It took him a few years, but after losing his hand he had mastered the art of using one hand to do anything—_everything_. With just five digits alone, he knew what he could bring this girl beneath him: pleasure, pain, utter madness…

As he continued down the line of buttons, he could feel the tension in her body as her thighs began to tighten around his waist, her fingers curling inwards towards her palms—her eyebrows arching and teeth biting down on her lower lip.

It was intoxicating to see her unfold before him like that.

Smirking softly, he quietly informed her, "If you think tonight will be like the others, you're sorely mistaken." It earned him a surprised look—one laced with curiosity as well as fear. Part of him wanted to take her right then and there, but the other part kept him under control, promising him that it would be so much more pleasing to make her beg for it.

When the first layer of her uniform was completely undone, he slid his hand under the fabric to tug it off her. It was always a difficult task to get her arms out of her sleeves, but after that, it came off rather easily, trailing down her waist and off her hips. He took in the sight of her lying there wearing only that dainty and thin slip and her stockings. The outline of her stiffening nipples were clear to see and as his waist dipped deeper between her legs, the slip rose higher and higher—revealing more of the soft tender flesh that was her inner thighs.

Crocodile found it amusing to witness how easy it was to turn her on, to make her body ready to receive him. His hand trailed gently up her thigh, expecting to find undergarments soon and surprisingly only finding more skin. With eyes slightly widening, he smirked and murmured, "Naughty girl."

Her blush only deepened and for a moment, it appeared as if a smile were trying to force its way upon her lips.

Avoiding her warm center, he continued moving his hand up, bringing along the slip as he went. His fingers ran along her left breast for a mere second before he decided to pull the garment off completely. A tightness grew in his pants as he looked upon her, eyes searching her tiny naked frame under his.

Getting off of her, he motioned for her to get on the bed as he went to undo his shirt. When she did as such, he smirked at how she took to the familiar position of laying down flat on the bed, head resting on a pillow and one hand lying on her stomach. Her wide stare searched his, waiting.

Getting on the bed, he simply ordered, "Roll over."

She sent him a confused stare, body tensing as he took his discarded tie. He flicked her a coy glance, brow cocking when she didn't do as he said. "Roll over," he repeated himself, voice slightly more demanding. A soft huff escaped her and she slowly flipped over, head cocking back to look his way.

Leaning in towards her, he took her right wrist, cranking her arm behind her back. He caught her brows lowering and felt the muscles—whatever little muscles she _did _have—tense beneath his grip.

"The other one," he said, hand reaching out for her left wrist. When she brought it towards him slightly, he took it and pinned it back against the other wrist. "Keep still now," he ordered, frowning as he tried to work the tie around her wrists. It was a difficult task, but with enough effort he managed to bind her.

There was a moment where she tried to pull her arms back, wrists struggling due to the restraints. A pout formed on her face, eyes softening as rested the side of her face upon the pillow.

_She's submitting…_

For a brief second, a low chuckle escaped him as he ran his hand down her back, stopping to squeeze her bottom. Her skin was soft and smooth and everything he wanted, and as he dipped his hand between her legs, he could feel her body perk up.

His fingers found a warm slickness down there, trailing down her slit until he found her opening. Greedily, he pushed two fingers in, smiling at the resistance he received from how tight she was—she had only been used a handful of times, by him and only him of course.

No other man would have her in the way he did.

Pressing his fingers in deeper, he smirked when a soft groan escaped her, her muscles within tightening even more around his digits. He stopped when he found _that_ spot, fingers curling inward to rub it.

He enjoyed the feeling of her arching her hips towards him, allowing him more room to explore. It almost puzzled him to think this was the same girl he found in the alleyway—timid, gullible, so _innocent_…The thought of him being the reason for this change left a guilty pleasure in his stomach—to know that _he_ was the reason behind her new needs and desires, the catalyst of this girl's transformation into a sexual being…

Crocodile licked his lower lip, leaning in towards her as he quickened his fingering. She was breathing harder he noticed, fingers digging into the back of her hands, and face buried into the pillow.

_No,_ he thought as he pulled his fingers out of her, _not just yet._

Luffy cocked her head back, expression weak as she sent him a pleading look. He knew that look—she wanted him to finish what he started. She _needed_ him to bring out that secret pleasure from within. She would have to beg for it—something she had yet to fully do in their time together.

Running his hand up her waist, he went for her breast, grabbing it firmly as he pressed his chest to her back. He took the stiff nipple between his thumb and index finger, squeezing hard and earning a whimper. Her fingers twitched against his abdomen, back arching into him from his attack.

While doing this, he pressed his mouth to her ear, biting down on her lobe before slinking his hand up around her neck. He pulled her upwards to sit up on her knees, cocking her head back all the while so he could kiss her jawline. With a soft breath of air, he coolly whispered into her ear, "I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to breathe."

Deeming enough time had passed by, he slid his hand back down her body, meeting her wet core once again. He circled the little nub of nerves above her slit—slow at first, but faster with each rotation. Her body trembled as each second passed, her hips starting to buck softly into the palm of his hand.

When he felt her begin to tense up, he stopped. Pulling his hand away from her, he received another whine, her body slumping against his as she glanced up at him.

"Is something the matter?" he questioned, searching her pained expression with a smirk. His fingers were drenched in her fluid, slick as he ran them slowly around her lower abdomen. "Perhaps there is something you want, yes?"

She kept her mouth shut tightly, eyes fluttering shut as she tried to wiggle, which only caused her to brush her bottom up against his groin. While he liked the feeling, he pulled his hips back so she couldn't continue trying to tempt him.

"Beg for it," he murmured against her ear, fingers starting to make their descent back down. "Beg me to fuck you and I shall give."

She whimpered in response, biting down on her bottom lip.

Cupping her mound he added, "I know you want it—just open your mouth and allow the words to pour out."

She nodded once—twice—three times, thighs clamping together over his hand; however, she still remained mute, disobeying him in every way.

Lowering his brows, he pulled her back against him, frowning when the tightness in his pants started to become unbearable. He needed her to _beg_…there was only so much longer he could handle without giving in to her.

One digit slipped in between the puffy lower lips and a soft moan was released when she opened her mouth. "Ah," she began quietly, head tilting back against his chest. "…yes." She was giving into him, his heartbeat picking up.

"Yes?" he repeated, tone curious. "Yes what?"

She whined.

His finger slid in deeper, slow and uncaring. "What is that you _**want?**_"

With a weak pitchy mewl, she whispered something, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Speak up."

She repeated herself, slightly louder. "…me."

It wasn't satisfactory enough for him. "Again, but _louder_," he repeated, pulling his hand back to reach for his pants. He unzipped himself, tugging his pants down just enough to release his stiff member. "Say **it.**"

"_Fuck me_," she whined, gasping when he pushed her back down on the bed with her face buried against the pillow.

It was good enough for him.

Taking his cock into his hand, he led it to her opening, pushing it in with ease. His eyes clamped down at how _tight_ she felt around him, his lips parting as he took in a deep breath. He pressed his hand to her hip, lifting her up a bit and pulling her back to fill her to the very core.

The maid let out a muffled whimper against the pillow, her bottom bucking back against him. Reaching his hand out for hers, he tugged her by the restraint so that her upper torso was lifted up, forcing her to reveal her lewd cries out in the open.

Crocodile slid in and out of her, dominating her in every way. Hard and fast—the perfect rhythm. He started to become lost in the movements, eyes narrowing as looked past her, ears focusing on her weak whimpers.

She grew even tighter, causing the knot in his center to tighten. Had he been twenty years younger, he could continue on strong and swift, yet now, at his old age, lasting long proved to be a challenge some days. He could feel his end drawing near, cutting his fun short.

Leaning into her, he forced her back down into the pillow, his head resting besides her as his thrusts became sloppy and frantic. Her soft whines filled his ear, her hot breath against his flesh.

"Cum for me and scream my name," he ordered her softly, breathing heavy and body growing tired. He needed to hear her—hear her screams.

Luffy titled her head his way, lips brushing against her ear. She was fighting back hard moans but she managed to breathe out his name—too weak for his liking.

"Scream it," he repeated, fingers digging into her hip. He was so close and he didn't know how much longer he could fight back the pressure.

It happened; her walls clamped down around him and her body twitched and shuttered and shook—and she cried out his name, short and hard, over and over again as her hips bucked herself back against him.

He came shortly after, face burying against hers, body pinning hers down to the bed as he remained deep inside. The pressure had subsided into utter pleasure, the tight knob releasing like a spring and bringing him sudden relief.

Crocodile stayed inside her like that for a moment, his breathing slowly steadying out. When he pulled out, he felt himself ejaculate near her entrance and inner thigh, mixing in with her fluids.

Swallowing, he undid the tie around her wrists, rolling her over so he could dip in between her thighs and meet her mouth. The kiss was long and hard and when he pulled back, he brought his hand across her face to brush back her bangs.

"The next time you steal something from me, I won't go as easy on you," he told her before getting off her to reach out for his discarded clothes. He took his cigar from his shirt and a box of matches from his pants, lighting it and laying back down to smoke.

On instinct, the little thief curled up into him, resting her head upon his chest—like how he preferred it. Leaving the cigar to his mouth, his hand fell to her waist, holding her against him tight.

Early that morning, he originally figured the cigar would be best smoked after his call with Doflamingo; however, he found it tasted so much better after his _game_ with the maid.

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**End Short Story One**

**Thanks for reading and supporting the story guys! I'll do another short story (the carnival one since it was second place) next week in celebration of this story turning one month old.**

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**Thanks for reading!**

**Sonia-Kun:** Haha, Doflamingo is the ultimate cock block. Thank you so much!

**Guest:** Family is pretty important to that silly bird. Hancock is more like luffysexual o_o Her heart only belongs to that rubber goofball. Thanks for reading!

**Cereza101:** Haha, I'm glad you liked the mooing xD I have plans for Bepo, but he won't show up anytime soon D: Thanks for reading!

**Princess-alice-malfoy-granger: **Hello! Yeah, jealous Luffy is adorable—Jealous Crocodile is intimidating ahah. You take care as well! And thank you so much for reading!

**CosmosAngel:** Haha, I hoped you enjoyed reading!

**Anon:** Doflamingo is a dick and he finds utter joy in ruining other peoples' lives, that's why haha. He'll confront Boa soon enough, soon enough. Thanks for reading!

**Son of Whitebeard: **Yeah, Mr. Two is fun to write. Thanks for reading!

**Flamingo Bastard: **Oh no, I did spell it wrong! D: I'm sorry—I am trash. *flops to corner to glue heart back together* _Don't leave me~~~ (;_;)_ Yeah, Boa and Crocodile will have a tiff soon enough over little Luffy. Mr. Four-….fuck. Okay, I totally mistook him for five. Okay, I need to go in edit my chapters because I always meant it to be mr. 5—ugh. Thanks for bringing that up because that's a big mistake right there. Thanks for reading!


	17. Side Story 2 - Carnival

**I was going to upload a few of the story/plot chapters before this side-story, but I'm currently in the middle of exams and only had time to write one chapter this weekend—so I decided to write the easier of the bunch and go with the side story. The main story will continue as scheduled next weekend—after exams.**

**Side-Story in celebration of this fic turning one month old today! Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story and I love you all. I hope you enjoy this fluff. *again, side-story takes place at another time/event/place than when we last left off in the story (Boa's Brothel) &amp; they (Croc and Luffy) have a more comfortable/easy going/perhaps even a little bit playful relationship (not necessarily romantic/lovey-dovey) towards each other***

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**To Serve at His Command| Side Story Two|** Carnival

Luffy had awoken three hours prior to dawn—happily in doing so—to complete all her chores for that day. She had cleaned and tidied up all of the rooms, did all the laundry, set the dining hall for breakfast, and even had time to go back to her room to change into a regular outing outfit.

The carnival was in town for one day and one day only and Luffy was promised—_sworn_—that if she did every single task on her list, she could go. After doing all of such, she had one last thing to tend to—waking the master, tending to his morning routine, and _then_ informing him she would take the day off, as what was promised her the day she found out of the carnival.

Tapping on Crocodile's door softly—as not to awake him abruptly and set off a sour mood—Luffy silently entered the room, inching her way quickly over to the corner of his bed. "Sir?" she murmured out gently, fingers flexing in to form two small fists. "It's time to wake up."

The urge to rip the covers off the sleeping man was deep in her mind, boiling in with her excitement over the carnival. He could be so _slow_ sometimes when it came to waking up. Pouting, she threw a look back towards his window, images of her fellow servants already having fun without her. The three boys—Sanji, Usopp, and Coby—had already left; given special permission the day before by Crocodile to leave whenever they wanted.

But Luffy had to stay and wait until the day _of_ to get permission to leave.

She watched silently as her employer rolled over, face burying into the pillow. A low groan filled the room followed by a dismissing wave of his hand.

Luffy's expression dulled. Whenever he made that gesture it meant he wanted to sleep in for a few more hours, and while she would had been alright with that decision any other day, she was in no mood to delay her trip to the carnival. Frowning slightly, she took to the side of his bed, pulling his top cover back. "_Sir_," she stated, trying her best not to whine, "it's time for you to wake up."

His hand shot out to pull the cover back.

"Your food will get cold," she added, tugging it back off him. "Sanji spent a lot of effort into making you a delicious meal—you don't want it to go to waste, sir?"

A dull huff escaped from against the pillow, followed by the tilt of his head in her direction. Cracking one eye open, he glared up at her, mouth still buried to the pillow. He didn't appear very happy, no matter how welcoming of a smile Luffy sent him.

"See, you're practically wide awake, sir," she commented as she leaned in towards the bed, hands working to pull back the next cover. "Now, let's get you all dressed…" Her words were cut short when he pulled her down by the wrist, heavy arm falling against her back when her face was buried into the bed.

"You're too chipper this morning," he dully stated before yawning and resting his head back down upon his pillow. When Luffy tried to wiggle out from under his arm, he pressed down even harder. "And I'm not ready to wake up just yet."

The maid managed to tilt her head his direction, cheek resting against the mattress as she eyed his sleepy expression, eyes slowly beginning to flutter shut. Pouting, she said, "If you're sleeping in, then can I go already?"

"Go where?" he questioned, voice growing soft as the muscles in his arm relaxed upon her back. He was drifting off, breathing slowing down.

"To the fair," she whined as she pushed herself up, his hand falling down to her lower back. Her fingers reached out to touch his shoulder, nails gently running along the naked flesh. "You said I could go if I finished all my chores."

"Did I?" he asked, eye fluttering open as life began to return to his tone. "And did you?" he added once Luffy nodded. When she nodded again, he cocked a brow before smirking and simply stating, "No, you need to stay and help me for the day."

"What?" she practically cried out, both hands on him as she shook him. "But you _promised."_ She couldn't believe he could be that _cruel_, to take her away her fun like that.

Frowning, he buried his face to the pillow, hand grabbing another one nearby to cover his ears. "You're too loud," he mutter out, tone slightly annoyed. "Besides, there is no point in going—it's just a waste of time."

"No it isn't," Luffy retorted as she pulled the pillow away from him, pressing it firmly to her chest. "It's not fair—why do I have to be punished just because you don't know how to have fun?" Her wide eyes searched his dull ones when he cocked his head back her way.

Sitting up, he ran his hand through his hair, pushing back a few messy strands. With a defeated sigh, he shrugged and asked, "Is it really that important for you to go?"

Luffy nodded firmly.

His elbow rested on his bended knee, eyes glazing over her face for a moment. "Fine," he said with an eye roll. "I don't want you here if you're going to be a whiny child about it."

Ignoring his comment, Luffy offered him a wide smile, hands clasping together under her chin. With enough effort—and perhaps the right amount of fit throwing—she knew she'd get her way. There was no way she was _not_ going to go to that carnival.

"You should go too, sir" Luffy suggested when the older male got out of bed, his arms stretching out for a long second. The thought of him tagging along pleased her so—if she needed a walking bank to pay for all the carnival food, she could just look his way. "You might have fun."

He threw her an amused glance before heading to his closet. "So I can go mingle with the barn animals and peasants?" he questioned with a low chuckle. "You're idea of fun is worrisome."

Crossing her arms, Luffy shook her head in defiance. "You don't want to be known as that old cranky guy who doesn't know how to have a good time."

Crocodile returned from the closet, a bundle of clothing hanging over his arm and an annoyed expression carved upon his face. "First, I'm not _old,_" he informed her, tone dull as he approached the bed. "And secondly, I _know _how to have a good time."

When the clothes were tossed her way, Luffy tilted her head, a small smile fighting its way to her lips. In all honestly, she couldn't fathom why he wouldn't want to go—staying cooped up in that mansion was no fun lifestyle. She firmly believed that getting him to go out would be best for him and perhaps lighten his rather cold attitude about the outside world.

Picking up his trousers, she went to go aid him in dressing. "I suppose if you consider sitting in your office all day fun…" she quietly commented as she helped in into his pants, fighting back the urge to send him a sly stare. "I guess that's just what is considered fun for the older folk."

She could feel his glare on her hard as she did his belt, a smile forming ever so slowly upon her lips.

"I'm not old," he repeated himself, clearly not amused.

Luffy shrugged before turning around to retrieve his shirt. "Oh, yes, sir," she murmured softly. "And besides—going out there in the heat and walking around all day probably won't be good for your health." When she dared to look up at him, she caught a look of anger and frustration cross his eyes.

With a deep stare, he quickly informed her, "I can handle going out there quite well. You act as if I'm some delicate flower." When Luffy sent him an unsure look, he frowned and added, once more, "_I'm not old._"

Buttoning his shirt up, she nodded. "Yes, sir, I heard you the first two times." Pausing, she nodded before adding, "Anyway, I can always go find somebody else to go with." Pressing her hand to the side of her cheek, she whispered, "I'll need to find somebody to protect me if I get into any trouble out there." Her gaze was casted aside, cheeks warming up as she tried her best to appear fearful. If poking at his age wasn't going to get him outside, perhaps the thought of her looking to another would.

A look of utter despair crossed his eyes. For a moment, he eyed her, clearly wanting to say something but failing to do so. His eye twitched for a mere second and he calmly said, "Well, if you fear for your safety by going alone, perhaps I should accompany you."

While she was more than pleased at his _sudden_ change of heart, Luffy made sure to play it cool. "Oh, if you really want to—I don't want you to go if it will be bothersome."

Crocodile shook his head, pushing past her to grab his scarf. "Without me there you'll most likely stick your nose where it doesn't belong." Pausing, he turned towards her, scarf hanging loosely on both of his shoulders. "Besides, who knows what type of _scum_ is lurking around at the fair."

* * *

As the car pulled in to the fairgrounds, Luffy watched with wide eyes, palms pressing gently upon the window. For as far back as she could see, there was carnival fun stretched out before them, with one huge Ferris wheel standing tall at the very back. Smiling, she scurried over to the other window—over Crocodile's lap—to get a better view, prompting the man to tense up.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, tone surprised as she made her way over his lap, hands reaching out to touch the window.

When his hand took to her waist to pull her off of him, Luffy pressed one finger to the window and looked to him. "Look," she happily ordered, eyes searching his narrowed stare. "It's _huge._" Moving back a bit, she allowed him enough room to look, a thin smile forming when he blinked.

"What?" he asked, shifting her about so that she was sitting on his lap rather than kneeling.

"The wheel," she answered, pointing at it once more. "I've never been on one—it must be exciting to sit all the way up there." She flicked an excited stare his way before adding, "Can we go on it?"

With a slight tilt of his head, he calmly answered, "Perhaps…but I may be tempted to throw you off at the peak." A small smirk formed upon his lips while she only sent him a pout.

Luffy pressed her hands to his shoulders. "You wouldn't do that," she objected softly, eyes searching his coy stare.

His hand went to her face, fingers pinching her chin. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," he answered, just as soft.

* * *

Luffy darted for the nearest attraction, eyes wide as she took in the site of piglets—little round pink balls with big eyes. Leaning over the fence, she reached out to pet one, smiling when the mother pig oinked out in protest.

Daz's monotone voice filled her ear from behind her. "Please let me stay behind in the car, sir."

"No," Crocodile stated as he took to Luffy's side, a look of disgust morphing upon his face. With arms crossed, he stuck his nose up at the pigs—probably offended by their foul smell. "I'm not going to suffer all this alone."

Luffy shot a dull stare up his way, lips firm as she analyzed his annoyed expression. She smiled when a group of children scurried between his legs and the fence, crowding in to look at the piglets and causing him to frown down.

"Sir," Daz practically begged as he moved over to avoid touching any of the children, "I don't ask for much—please don't make me go through all of this."

Rolling her eyes, she pulled away from the pen, leaving the two to bicker amongst the group of small children. She didn't want to spend the entire day listening to those two argue and the sounds of the fair activities were quite intriguing. So, with eyes flickering left and right, she scurried about, looking for the next place to go investigate.

There were tons of animal pens off in one direction, the smell of delicious foods in another, and if she squinted hard enough, she could see games and prizes off in the distance. Laughter and music traveled throughout the air, and the sight of children running about made her smile softly. Clapping her hands together, she decided to head off towards the animals first—she figured that she would be able to work up a fine appetite if she spent a good amount of time gazing at the animals, imagining what they would look like in one of Sanji's dishes.

As she went, salesmen and women called out to her—along as to others walking about—to offer her their products, to test this and that out, to feel the fine material spent into creating such a needed household item. While each were interesting enough in their own right, Luffy would have to inform them she had no money to buy such nice things, prompting them to coldly move on to another potential customer.

Pouting, she'd reminded herself that the animals wouldn't shoo her aside.

Upon reaching the pens, she went straight for the turkeys, eyes widening when she realized nobody else was about. She figured turkeys just weren't the ideal animal to watch and couldn't help but smile when there weren't even any workers around. Luffy was utterly alone, to do what she pleased, with fat—_slow_—floppy turkeys.

Glancing around slowly, she scurried over the fence, smirking when one of the turkeys eyed her hard. A group of them scurried off to the corner, but that one stood his ground, feathers fluffing out when she took a step towards him. He clucked a few times, feet stomping in place as his beady eyes narrowed.

"Hey there Mr. Turkey," Luffy began, approaching him slowly. She admired his _plumpness_, figuring he would make a fine meal. _"How about you just come with me?_" When she lifted both hands upwards, the turkey clucked back loudly, body tense and ready to fight. "I won't go easy on you!"

She lunged first, hands going for the fat center that was his body, only to grasp thin air since the turkey dodged the attack. He swung around her, pecking at her leg as he went. "You!" she gasped, twirling around and lowering her brows. "Don't think you can win this, Mr. Turkey."

The turkey clucked back in response, the other birds fearfully watching from the corner of the pen. This one was obviously the leader—if his sheer size wasn't a giveaway of that, then his pride and dominance was clear enough. Luffy swore she would have him.

Pouncing, she tackled the bird down, grin quickly dissolving into a heavy frown as the bird kicked and flapped its way on top of her. She held it back by his chest, wincing when he began to peak at her shoulder. Her legs flew up, knees pushing in against the bird's bottom.

With the right move, she flipped them over—with her wrapping her arms around the bird and submitting him. He clucked in her arms, breathing fast and eyes wide, but in the end, he gave in, allowing her to hold him tightly. Luffy had won.

With a determined nod, she glanced up, blinking when she caught a pair of dull eyes watching her. With the side of his face resting in his palm and body leaning against the fence, Crocodile cocked a brow. For a long minute, they stared each other down.

Finally, a look of disbelief crossed his face before he simply stated, "I would ask what you are doing, but honestly, I don't think I want to know." His eyes followed her as she got up, occasionally dropping down to glance at the bird.

"I'm taking him home with us," she informed him as she approached the fence, trying to figure out a way to crawl back over while carrying the bird. "Here, hold him so I can't get back over."

Crocodile shook his head, pulling back from the fence. "No," he told her. "_**No**_," he stated once more, voice firmer. "I take my eyes off you for one second and you go and get into a fight with a bird—this…this isn't how carnivals work."

Pouting, Luffy titled her head to the side. "What do you mean?" she murmured, eyes falling down at the bird. "Aren't you supposed to pick out an animal to bring back home to eat? Why else would they have all these open pens about?" When she looked back to his face, she caught his eye twitch.

"Put the bird down and hop over," he ordered, tone stern. "You already look a mess and I will not have you bring that filthy animal back to my mansion."

Luffy frowned, clutching the bird tighter. "But I dominated him and he's mine by right—look, if you don't want to touch him, fine. I can climb over while carrying him, just watch me." When she went for the fence, his hand took to her shoulder, holding her back.

A look of emotions took to his face, morphing from frustration to annoyance and finally into a deadly calm. "If you don't release the bird, I'll take you straight back to the mansion." His stare fell to the plump ball of feathers as he motioned for her to drop the animal.

Pouting, Luffy glared at her feathery opponent before releasing him, watching as he scurried off to the other frightened turkeys. There was a loud exchange of gobbles before they migrated to another corner of the pen.

"No more than ten minutes here and you've already managed to traumatize the animals," Crocodile dully observed as she climbed over the fence, legs dangling down as she sat upon the top board. Stepping before her, he went to brush the dirt out of her hair with his hand, a look of annoyance—and perhaps even amusement—in his eyes.

Crossing her arms, Luffy huffed when he pulled a feather out from her hair. "Where's Daz?" she asked.

His lips formed a thin line. "Back near the entrance, when he was arguing with me, I looked away for one second when I noticed you had disappeared, and then when I went back to look his way, _he_ was gone." His brows lowered, hand slinking down to brush off her shoulder. "Bastard left me to fight off the snot-nosed brats on my own."

Luffy smiled at the thought, glancing away when he threw her a hard stare.

"You're all scratched up," he observed, thumb running along a small cut on the side of her cheek. His tone wasn't caring, yet it wasn't distant either—somewhere in between, and when she glanced back his way, she offered him a soft expression.

And as his hand cupped the side of her face, his eyes softening, she felt his body lean in towards her. While she originally was going to allow him to do whatever he wanted then, she cocked her head to side when a pink feather fluttered slowly upon his shoulder. She shifted, his face just missing hers as she reached out for the feather, brows lowering as she examined it.

_Where did this…?_

Glancing up, she was met with a familiar pink coat and a sharp pair of glasses. Blinking, she mouthed out, "Oh."

Crocodile's stare lingered over to the feather first, expression blank as he glanced up to her face. "What is it?" he questioned, body starting to turn but stopping when his shoulder bumped into somebody behind him.

For a moment, it appeared as if utter despair crossed his face.

"What are we doing all the way out here by ourselves, huh?" Doflamingo asked, tongue slinking out past his lips and arms flinging over Crocodile's shoulders. "If I had to guess, I would say you two are messing around at the fair." He paused, fingers tip-toeing across the older male's chest and bouncing off to touch Luffy's shoulders. "But the real issue at hand here is why _I_ wasn't invited."

"Doflamingo," Crocodile murmured quietly as his eyes fell down hard upon the man's hands that were on Luffy, expression a scary blank. His body was tense—that much was obvious to tell, and Luffy wasn't sure if he was exactly alright at that moment.

With a grin, the bird said, "That is my name, although, I don't mind being referred to as Papa Flamingo, especially when you're being _bad_ children."

Without response, Crocodile slipped his forearms under Luffy's armpits, lifting her off the fence and while carrying her as such, turned to the side and began to walk away. From her view, she could see the tall blonde pouting, a flamingo in his arms.

Blinking, she cocked her head farther past Crocodile's shoulder to get a better look at the bird. "Where'd you get that bird?" she called out, quickly taking notice that her employer's face was still blank.

Following them, Doflamingo glanced down at his pet and pointed off in another direction. "I found a pen of them back over there, and so I just took one." A wide smirk erupted upon his face. "I mean, that's why they have open pens around, right? To take an animal back home."

Her expression lightened up, her eyes finding Crocodile's. Before she had the chance to tell him that she was right the entire time, the older male shook his head, stare still empty of emotion. "No," he quietly told her. "That's not how things work around here."

Frowning, she wiggled in his arms. "Can you let go?" she asked, tone almost a whine. She didn't want to be restricted as such for the remainder of the day and she found it annoying that he was being such a party-pooper.

"We're leaving now," he said, more to himself than to her. "I could handle the smelly animals and annoying children—but _**Doflamingo**_? No. Not today. Not here, no…"

Luffy wiggled again in his arms, prompting him to clutch onto her tighter, as if she were some small child. "That's not fair," she protested, hands taking to his shoulders to push herself upwards enough where her upper abdomen was in Crocodile's face, causing him to stop walking. She managed to hoist herself up and over his shoulder, legs bending inward when he clutched her knees.

Her arms fell across his back, hands landing hard against his lower back. With a loud huff, she glanced up to catch Doflamingo laughing as he took long strides to catch up to the fellow mob lord. "You little one is just as bad as mine," he commented when he took to Crocodile's side, never noticing the death stares being sent his way by the older male. "_Fufufu_, but I'd never take you for the type to go to the fair—what, with you being an old grouchy fuck."

Luffy could feel his jaw clench against her waist, fingers digging into her calf. "I'm not old," he snarled back, whipping around and heading in the opposite direction—back towards the main portion of the fair. "I _can _handle anything that any other man here can," he stated then.

Resting her chin into her palm—elbow propped against Crocodile's shoulder—Luffy sent a dull stare over to the pink man, watching as he tilted his head in confusion. "Sounds like you're going through something right now," he began before quickly following. "I know the right thing for me to do is to give you some space to work this issue out, but when was I ever one for doing the right thing, _fufufu_?"

"Why don't you spread your wings and go fly into a window?" Crocodile questioned before turning to head down towards the livelier side of the carnival grounds—where the games and rides seemed to be. "I'm sure they'd give you a proper burial in a nearby trashcan."

Flinging his arm across Luffy's back and leaning in towards Crocodile's side, Doflamingo practically gasped. "I'm hurt, Croco-man. You act like I'm a nuisance." He took a wide step to the side when a fist was thrown his way. "My, my, touchy this morning, yes?"

"Go back to your ridiculous flock of living trash and leave me alone."

Doflamingo pouted, throwing Luffy a hurt look. "Is he always _this_ mean?"

"Don't talk to him," Crocodile ordered her, pulling her off his shoulder and taking her by the wrist to lead her away. "You might catch whatever foul diseases he's carrying if you get too close."

"Aw, Croco-baby, you're really laying down the hurt on hard today," Doflamingo whined, tossing his flamingo over his shoulder and quickly taking to Luffy's other side, arm hanging over her shoulders. "How about we dump our kids over at the elephant cages and spend a little special daddy time together, yeah?"

"I'd rather die," Crocodile answered after a dull huff, pulling Luffy away from the lanky man. "Don't you have something better to do than pester me, like perhaps going over to the freak show portion of the carnival and starring as the main event?"

Doflamingo leaned in towards the shorter male, resting his head on his shoulder before sending him a quick wink. "I'll give you a special performance if you ask nicely."

While the two older males bickered on—or more so, on Doflamingo's part, _flirt_—Luffy pulled herself free from Crocodile's grip, eyes growing wide as she took in a familiar face. Approaching a nearby booth, she glanced at the man working it, a thin smile forming upon her face. "Buggy," she called out, earning the clown's attention.

Turning around, the man cocked a brow before blinking. "You?" he questioned, leaning across the counter. "Looks like you found me…" Shrugging, he pointed to the carnival game behind him. "Want to play? I need the money."

Peering past him, she took in the stacks of glass bottles and the pile of stuffed animals. "What are you supposed to do?" she asked softly, eyes finding its way back to the clowns.

Smirking, Buggy crossed his arms and nodded towards one of the bottle stacks. "If you knock over the stack with a ball, you win a prize. You get three tries per round, and the sooner you make the hit—if you even do—the bigger the prize." He sent her a coy stare. "Want to go a round?"

Chewing on her inner cheek, Luffy shrugged. It wouldn't do any harm to try, and she did fancy one of those stuffed animals—especially the bigger ones. Sticking her hand into her pocket, she happily asked, "How much?"

A gleam took to his eye. "Well, normal price is a dime a pop, but for you, kiddo, how about a buck?" When she sent him a heavy frown, he snickered. "Hey, you're working for a big shot now and I need the money to eat, alright? Stop with that face."

"I don't have that type of money," she objected, pulling out a dime. "But I do have this."

Buggy scoffed before quickly collecting the coin. "I'd bet anything you're loaded right now and you're just holding out on the poor soul who took you in when you had _nowhere_ else to turn to." He slumped back, kneeling down to reveal three small woven balls. "Here," he grumbled, handing them off to her.

Placing two of them down upon the counter, she squeezed the third one. She threw the clown a determined face. "I'm going to make it the first time," she declared before pulling her arm back and snapping it back forward to throw the ball.

It fell mid-way, rolling away softly.

Crossing his arms to form an X, Buggy sneered and offered her a wide smirk.

Huffing, she quickly stated, "That was just a warm up." Grabbing the second ball, she struck a pose before throwing it. This ball flew, but continued straight pass the bottles, striking the back of the booth and falling down to the ground.

Buggy did another round of crossing his arms, a laugh erupting past his lips. "Last chance."

Stomping her foot, Luffy frowned at the thought that she had messed up terribly the first two times. There was no chance of her winning any of the larger—or even medium—sized animals, but she still had a shot at taking home one of the smaller ones. "I'll make it this time," she firmly stated as she took the last ball.

Squeezing the ball for a mere second, she threw it, eyes wide as she watched is sail across the booth. It struck the bottles, a smile coming to her only to die quickly when nothing happened—the bottles still stood stacked and the ball fluttered to the ground.

"But…" she began weakly, eyes flickering over to Buggy. A figure appeared by her side, but she paid him no attention, mind too frantic over her loss. "The ball hit the bottles!"

Shrugging, the clown offered her a grin. "I guess you didn't throw it hard enough!"

"Or perhaps the game is rigged," the person standing beside her commented, smoke rising from his lips and arms crossed.

"Hey, how about you cram it?" Buggy snapped, tone sharp and eyes angry as he turned towards to man. His eyes widened, mouth falling wide as he stumbled back. "AH!" he screamed, voice pitchy.

"Cram it?" Crocodile questioned, eyes narrowing. "Is that such a wise thing to say?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-no!" the clown stuttered, legs shaking. "I wasn't talking to you—no, not at all. R-r-rigged? Well, you see—no, that's not the case." His eyes flickered over to Luffy, wide and pleading. "You know what? I think I gave you the wrong ball."

He revealed a new ball before placing it in Luffy's palms. It was much heavier than the others and felt to be made of better material. "How about you try again, huh?" the clown asked, eyes wide as he tried to force a friendly smile. "O-on the house, of course."

Crocodile took the ball from her, tossing it up into the air once before catching it. "I'll throw this one," he declared. Quickly, he cranked his arm back and whipped it forward, the ball speeding mere centimeters from Buggy's face and striking the bottles. Glass scattered everywhere and the clown fell to his knees, face whiter than any clown makeup. "Y-you win," he weakly announced with a soft clap of his hands.

With a proud look in his eyes, Crocodile reached out to pull his cigar from his lips before glancing down at Luffy, whom was sending him a wide-eyed—and very excited—stare. "Pick one out," he ordered her, motioning to the pile of stuffed animals.

Clapping her hands together, Luffy leaned over the counter to greedily point at the largest one. "The monkey," she happily stated, smiling when Buggy quickly scurried over to hand it to her.

"H-here," he told her as he gave her the toy. "And why don't you two take this as well?" He produced a roll of tickets. "F-free tickets to go enjoy the rides and such," he explained, weak stare flickering over to Crocodile. He fell back down to his knees to hide himself before whispering, "P-please don't kill me—I'm too young to die."

"We'll be sure to do that," Crocodile commented as he took the tickets, throwing his arm over Luffy's shoulders to lead her away. From the corner of her eye, she could see the old man throw the clown a hard stare, but she was too happy over her new item to say anything.

Burying her face into the monkey, she glanced up at her employer. "Thank you," she whispered softly, cheeks warming up against the fuzzy feel of the stuffed animal.

He sent her a smirk in return. "Look," he explained with a wave of his hand, "you're the _only_ one here with one of the larger animals—and that's because of _me_. Nobody considered _old_ would be able to do something like that." He nodded then, bringing her in closer towards his body—face sporting a proud look.

Luffy agreed, fighting back the urge to laugh at his obvious issue with age. After a moment, she glanced around, cocking a thin brow. "Where did that one man go? The strange bird one?"

A sly look crossed Crocodile's face as he casted his gaze aside, a thin smile forming. "Something _unfortunate_ happened to his new pet—he had to go take it to the nearest medical aid." He chuckled then, clearly hiding certain parts of that story, but Luffy didn't want to ask.

"Well, I guess it's just us two again," she observed. Her stomach growled and she blushed, embarrassed to think if he heard her. "I think it's about time for lunch."

* * *

Crocodile frowned heavily at the stick of meat handed his way. Luffy gleefully nibbled on hers, eyes slinking up to take in his grimace. "Are you going to eat?" she asked, tilting her head. If he was going to throw a fit over the fair food, she figured she could just eat it for him instead of it going to waste. Luffy considered it one of the biggest sins to waste precious food.

He held the stick between his fingers, throwing her an unimpressed glance. "This isn't exactly…a _formal_ setting," he commented as he glanced about them, eyeing the loud groups of people sitting about. Two cows stood off to the back of them, grazing on some hay before mooing out and causing Crocodile to stiffen. "And this food is rather messy," he added. "I can't fathom how you peasants can stomach such greasy meat."

She sent him a dismissing wave of her hand before finishing off her stick of meat in one bite, savoring the juicy flavor and tenderness of it all. "Stop being a baby and eat it," she advised him while covering her mouth to chew, causing him to frown. Swallowing, she quickly added, "It's really good, so if you're not going to eat it, I will."

He pulled the stick back when she reached out for it. "I didn't say I _wasn't_ going to eat it," he corrected her. "I was just making observations." For a long second, he eyed the meat, smelling it briefly before bringing it to his lips.

He seemed unsure as he took his first small bite, jaw clenching as he chewed. After a moment, he shrugged, offered her a surprised look, and took another one. "It isn't as terrible as I imagined," he offered after a third bite. "I must admit I'm surprised at how well the poor can cook."

Luffy sent him a dull look. _The ability to cook has nothing to do with wealth…_Crossing her arms, she quickly glanced about. It was true—Crocodile stood out like a sore thumb compared to everybody around them, what with his fine attire and snobbish tone. She wondered what the others thought of him, and if overhearing his comments, what they thought of that.

Pouting, she glanced back up to Crocodile, watching as he continued to dine on his stick of meat. At least he was cooperating a little bit, being open to at least eating the carnival food. And yes, he seemed more apt to investigate the fair activities than he did that morning, which she found relieving.

Sometimes, at moments like that, she wondered what exactly went through his head.

When he took his last bite, he tossed the stick upon the table, wiping his fingers on a nearby napkin. His gaze fell on her then, lingering down to her lips as a slight frown formed. "You have a bit of sauce on you," he began softly, thumb reaching out to wipe the corner of her lip gently. He kept his hand to the side of her face, eyes softening as her cheeks went red.

"Oh," she responded, eyes widening when he started to lean in towards her. "Wait," she cried out, hands shooting up to grab his scarf and cause him to gawk. One of the cow's had moved to his shoulder, blankly chewing on the soft fabric.

A weird mewl of a growl escaped him and Luffy couldn't help but laugh at the sight. He pressed his hand to the cow's face, trying his best to push it back, but the animal only mooed back in response, a burst of stinky breath slamming into his face.

Crocodile shot her an annoyed look as he got up, pulling his now wet scarf out of the animal's mouth along the way. "That isn't funny," he informed her, eyes glaring down at the saliva stains on his expensive accessory. "This scarf costs more than the damn creature," he added, tone angry as he undid the item from his neck. "Now ruined."

Before she had the chance to calm him down, a group of children ran past him, bumping into his legs as they tried to crowd around the mooing cow. Crocodile sent hard stares at them, lips forming a thick frown as he tried to work his way away from the commotion, stumbling as he went. "This is ridiculous," he announced, moving a small boy aside with his knee to get through. "Wild animals, they are."

Noticing the tension in his voice, Luffy quickly took her stuffed animal and scurried over to his side. Grabbing his wrist, she offered him a soft expression before suggesting, "Let's go somewhere quiet, then, yes?"

* * *

Late afternoon and Luffy found the perfect spot to rest—more so for Crocodile's sake than hers. The long day was clearly having a toll on the old guy, his temper growing by the hour. While she knew full well he wasn't the type to easily enjoy such events, she figured that this particular section of the fair could sooth his mind.

He gawked at the boat, brow cocked high as his stare lingered over to hers. "Seriously?"

Luffy nodded, handing over a set of tickets to the boat operator. She proceeded to place her monkey in the back row before scurrying up into the front row, throwing him a glance when she was seated. "Come on," she begged, patting the empty spot beside her. "It will be nice to paddle around a bit."

After a moment's hesitation—and a grim look—Crocodile got in, glaring down at the paddles at their feet. "This isn't exactly my definition of _relaxing_ if we have to move the boat on our own."

"It's easy," Luffy shot back, feet sticking to the peddles to move them. "See, you just have to turn them like this…and the boat moves!" With a gleam in her eye, she quickly added, "But you have to do it as well, or it won't work."

Crocodile huffed in response, glancing down as he pushed his feet to the peddles. When he started to rotate the flat knobs, the boat moved forward. And as they went, the boat keeper called out a fair warning.

"Make sure to keep the weight distributed evenly to both sides or the boat will capsize!"

"How lovely," Crocodile muttered, brows lowering when he met Luffy's stare. "You do realize that this will tire us out by the time we're finished."

She shook her head in response. "Maybe it'll tire _you_ out, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it." When they got pretty far out into the lake, Luffy peered over the side of the boat, blinking as she caught little orange fins fly about underwater. "There are fish down there," she whispered, fingers reaching out to dip into the water.

"You stopped peddling," Crocodile responded. "Are we just going to sit here?"

Flicking her stare back to him for a quick second, she nodded. "If you stick your fingers in, the koi will nibble on them."

"I'd much rather not," he commented, slumping back against his seat. The sound of crickets chirping filled the air and the sun falling gave way to the darkening night sky. "It's getting late," he added before fishing out a cigar. "I doubt there is much left to do here."

"There's the wheel," Luffy answered, shifting in her seat so she could point back at the giant wheel behind them. "I overhead someone say that there is going to be a fireworks show when it gets dark—we should go on the Ferris wheel so we can have the best view."

He nodded absentmindedly as he lit his cigar, breathing out in relaxation as he rested his arm over the back of her seat. "We'll need to find Daz as well," he added. "I hope he just waited by the car the entire time, but that would be unlikely. If he had half a mind, he would have left this place the first chance he got."

Frowning, Luffy's arms crossed tightly over her chest as she slumped back deep into her own seat. "Did you even enjoy _anything_ today?" she asked, annoyed at his sour tone. It bothered her to think that today was a complete dread for him, while she had the upmost of fun. _Is it really that terrible for him to lighten up a bit?_

With a shrug, he simply stated, "This—right now—isn't too dreadful." It earned him a coy look from her, her lips still sporting a fat pout. With a tilt of his head, he added, "And I suppose watching you make a fool of yourself with that turkey was entertaining."

Luffy huffed, swinging her body to the side with her back to him. "I _had_ fun," she informed him in a low voice. "That is until you started complaining." Pausing, she softly added, "If I had known you would have hated coming with me so much…" Her words fell short when his arm pulled her back, head falling upon his lap.

"Listen," he began, arm resting over her stomach, "the only reason I would even _dare _to attend such a horrid peasant's event as this is because you wanted to go." He paused for a second, eyes glancing off as if searching for the next set of words. With a shrug, he continued. "I wouldn't bother with all this if you weren't here beside me."

While it wasn't the _best _way to say he appreciated her being there, Luffy felt better because of his…explanation, if it could be called that. Her hand rested upon his as her eyes searched his stare. "Really?" she asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

He nodded, not seeming to mind it when her fingers began to weave in with his own. With a deep breath, he added with an eye roll, "Coming here wasn't _that_ dreadful—I suppose, _overall_, I enjoyed it."

She couldn't help but smile, pushing herself up so that she could look into his eyes properly to see if he was lying. "You really mean it?" she questioned, cocking a brow as she studied his expression.

His hand took to her lower back, pulling her into his lap and prompting her to place her hands upon his shoulders to steady herself. "Well," he slyly began with a smirk playing around with his lips, "I suppose there is _something _we can do to really make this day more enjoyable."

While Luffy knew full well what he meant—and even began to lean in towards his face to give him what he wanted—something more important caught her attention. With wide eyes, she flopped out of his grasp to lean over his side of the boat, hands reaching out into the water when she caught the biggest koi she'd ever seen swim around. "Look at that one!" she practically cried out, never hearing Crocodile's sharp protest.

With a loud creak, the boat tipped over.

And down they both went into the lake, koi fish quickly swimming away in fear. Since the lake wasn't that deep, she was able to push her head up and over the water just enough to breath while sitting down. Her stuffed monkey floated away slowly, prompting her to pout.

With a sniff, she glanced over to her male companion, blinking as she watched him push his sopping wet hair over his face. The look he sent her sent shivers down her back—clearly not pleased with what just happened.

Some of the koi began to approach them—especially him, nibbling at the floating edges of his fine coat. He glared down at them briefly before arising, the water ending just at his upper thighs. With ease, he pushed the boat back over before climbing on board, eyes falling on Luffy.

"Get. In." His voice was hard—annoyed—_pissed_.

With an even deeper pout, she climbed in, hands folding together over her lap as he began to peddle the boat back to shore. "Look," she tried to start, only to halt when he threw her a glare. They rowed back in silence—pausing momentarily for him to reach out and plop her monkey in the back seat.

When they got out, the boat keeper offered them towels. "Don't know how much good they'll do you," he even said as he handed them over, shaking his head as he left to go inspect his boat.

Luffy pulled the towel over her face to hide herself from Crocodile. She'd occasionally sneak a look his way, watching as he cleaned out his pockets. His cigars were sopping wet as he pulled them out of his coat pocket, a grim look taking to his face as he tossed them in a nearby trashcan. When he caught her staring, he narrowed his gaze.

She only pulled the towel back down over her face.

It was getting late, the night sky starting to take over, and Luffy had a bad feeling. She figured he was just about ready to leave by that point—and she wouldn't blame him. It was her fault that the boat capsized…

"Let's go," Crocodile ordered as he pushed past her.

With a soft huff, she pulled the towel back and around her shoulders, expecting to find him heading towards the exit but finding that he was going in the opposite direction. Arching her brows, she quickly scooped up her monkey and took to his side. "Where are we…?"

He threw her an annoyed stare. "You _wanted_ to go on the Ferris wheel to see the fireworks, yes?"

Squeezing her monkey, she softly answered, "Yes, but I didn't think you would want to go on it anymore…"

His brows lowered, a thin frown forming. "Then where else are we going to watch the fireworks?"

* * *

The sky erupted before them in a sea of reds, blues, greens, and oranges—dancing and mixing together to form beautiful lights. Luffy watched in amazement—and fear as the wheel pulled them higher and higher to the sky. She found it all enchanting, and as if it couldn't get any better, the wheel stopped with them at the very top.

Glancing over to the old man, she caught him with a thin smile on his face as he looked up at the sky, head propped in his hand. He seemed relaxed at that moment, eyes reflecting all the pretty colors. His breathing was slow and his posture wasn't as tensed as before.

With a smile, she leaned in towards him, resting her head upon his shoulder.

One of the louder fireworks went off before them, a powerful explosion illuminating the dark air surrounding. Luffy jumped in her seat from it, clutching onto Crocodile's arm as she caught him sending her an amused smirk. He reached out with his hand as if to catch one of the falling ambers, eyes softening.

His fingers grasped air before returning back, face tilted downwards to look upon her once more.

Amongst the fireworks, at the very tip of the Ferris Wheel, they shared a kiss.

* * *

**End Short Story Two**

* * *

**Thanks for reading and supporting this story! I'll do another short story upon the next milestone of this chapter (either it be, Idk, at 15o reviews or whenever I feel really happy , I dunno lol :3) Hopefully, by then, I'll be able to come up with some more ideas.**

**Cereza101 &amp; CosmosAngel &amp; Guest &amp; Anon &amp; Princess Alice &amp; Son of Whitebeard: **Thank you so much! XoXo

**IMadeThisUp:** Ohmygosh me too. For some reason, I just really like the idea of old man having old man struggles (especially in the bedroom department) but being super determined and ok imma stop now before I blush. I'm honestly starting to have more fun writing Doflamingo scenes now, haha! Thanks for reading!

**Destiny's-dawn666:** I'm so happy this story was able to win you over! I know it's a little rough at the start to get into, but I'm glad to see that you believe I'm pulling it off by this point. Thank you so much for giving this story a chance and reading!


	18. Wealth & Power

**A/N: Last round of fluff before things really pick up—sort of like the calm before the shitstorm.**

**Also: Don't mistake any affection Crocodile shows towards Luffy as love/romance/etc. If anything, at this point of the story, he may be a **_**fraction**_** of a bit fond of her, but nothing else. His take towards her is more like dominance/property/you're mine/I'll take care of you to some extent because you're my plaything/etc., and it sometimes is hard to express that when it's only in Luffy's POV.**

**Also-Also: It was brought up by Flamingo Bastard that I've been mixing up Mr. Four &amp; Five's names—I always meant it to be Mr. Five, not Four (I've been using Four instead of Five). Haha, sorry about that.**

**Warning: "oOoOoOo" implies M-rated territory for smut and drug use.**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Wealth &amp; Power

Luffy awoke to the feel of a hand snaking over her waist and a mouth pressing to her ear. Lying on her side—engulfed in soft blankets thrown about—the hand pulled in her against another's chest, holding her tightly. It was the first time she spent the entire night in Crocodile's bed, and awakening beside him like that sent a flutter to her gut.

Burying the side of her face into her pillow, she nudged her shoulder against the older male to stop him from breathing on her ear like that, offering him a soft whine as protest. She very much liked the snug embrace of the blankets and the smooth lining of the mattress, and was in no hurry to wake up just yet.

His body shifted behind her, causing her to frown and roll over to hide her face into the pillow fully. Fingers traced the center of her back briefly before Crocodile yawned and said, "It's getting late—you need to wake up now."

When he got out of bed, a cold took to her exposed skin, prompting her to pull the covers up and over her head. She winced as her body shivered, a pout playing around with her lips. After a few minutes, the warmth returned to her, lulling her back into sleep's embrace.

"It really should be reversed," Crocodile's voice called out from somewhere in the room. "Is it not your job to wake me?" There was a dip in the bed, something pulling the cover back enough to reveal her sleepy face. The expression on his face was not of anger or frustration, but of amusement and relaxation. "Don't get used to me spoiling you like this," he added in a soft whisper as his hand reached up to push her hair out of her face.

Breathing softly, Luffy forced her gaze open, eyes finding his as she sat upwards. She brought her hand to her face to rub away the sleep, other hand clutching the covers over her body to keep her warm. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Crocodile was already sporting his pants, and his shirt was hanging open on him.

Blinking twice, she brought her knees inward, eyes flicking off towards the window to see that the sun had already rose. Swallowing, she wondered how she could sleep in that late when for almost a month, she had done well to wake up just before dawn. A tugging on her necklace brought her stare back to his.

"If you hurry up and get ready, I'll take you out for breakfast," Crocodile said, thumb running along the smooth edge of her heart pendant. His stare narrowed slightly, a smirk picking at the corner of his lips. "I'll buy you whatever your little heart desires."

Her eyes widened as she looked to him, searching his face for a long second. As her heart picked up, she leaned in slightly and gently asked, "Really? _Anything?_" The thought of eating out intrigued Luffy so, prompting her stomach to greedily cry out in agreement.

Crocodile's hand took to her chin, thumb tracing her bottom lip as he nodded once. "Anything," he repeated. Pulling his hand away from her, he got up and went for his suitcase upon a nearby desk table. "Today," he began as he opened it, "you will be a lady of high class." He produced a thin outing gown, beautiful, elegant, dazzling, and everything Luffy always admired in the attire of the rich. "Nobody in this city should easily recognize me nor should they you, so I think it would be amusing to sneak you into the upper class style of life, if only for one day."

He tossed the dress upon the bed before heading over to a mirror, hand reaching up to slick back his hair. "Hurry up now—I'm hungry."

* * *

Luffy followed him out of the room silently, eyes darting left and right as she watched the girls of the brothel run about—some carrying cleaning supplies, others leaving the rooms of the men they accompanied for the night. Nervously, she brought her hand up to tug at one of her sleeves, feeling the frilly fabric between two fingers gently.

"Don't," Crocodile ordered when he threw her a quick glance. "That's not lady-like." After a pause, he added, "And keep your head up and posture straight."

Breathing softly, she tried to straighten out her shoulders, head perking up as she followed after him down the hallway. The corset—something she wasn't used to wearing—helped with keeping her torso straight and she found it odd that women could stand to wear something that tight for hours at a time. She found it hard enough to just breathe in the contraption, and she feared she wouldn't be able to woof down very much at breakfast.

Placing his hand to her upper back, Crocodile drew her near him, his face leaning down slightly so he could talk to her without any of the workers there overhearing. "The story is that you're visiting from the west coast," he began, eyes glazing over to watch an older male scurry by with a much younger female companion. "Your grandfather struck it rich in the gold mines but your own personal access to the wealth is locked up until you find a proper suitor."

A smirk played around with her lips. She found it rather amusing that he was putting so much detail in her fake-story. "And what if somebody asks questions? About the gold mines and my imaginary rich grandfather? What should I say then?"

Crocodile offered her a sly smile and a slow shrug. "You're a woman—they won't assume you bother with such affairs." His hand pulled her in closer to him, their sides pressing against each other as he leaned his mouth down to her ear. "I'm going to show you off today and it will please me _very_ much if you gave a convincing act."

A pink took to her cheeks as he pulled away from her, quickening his pace as they neared the staircase. He continued onward and she stood at the top step, hands clutching together over her chest, eyes staring at the back of his head. Crocodile seemed more chipper that day—livelier and excited, and she found it all puzzling. Shrugging, she went down the stairs, hand gliding down the railing, and as she arrived at the final step, she caught a familiar figure before her.

It was the strange woman from the day before, who made all the flustered expressions and declared that she were to be her lover.

Widening her stare, she almost fell backwards when she scurried up two steps, afraid of being noticed by Hancock. _It's that woman!_ Biting down on her lip, she watched as Crocodile was approached by her, a look of anger written all over her face.

"Have you seen that dreadful man this morning?" she questioned, hands clutching at her hips as she cocked one thin brow. "He practically traumatized half of my girls last night!"

"If you mean the bird, _no_, thankfully," Crocodile answered dully, flicking one glance back at Luffy and frowning when he caught her slinking back up the staircase. Narrowing his stare, he added, "I try not to associate with headaches so early in the day." With his attention fully on Luffy, he firmly asked, "Where are you going?"

Swallowing, she tensed up when the brothel owner glanced her way, eyes growing wide upon contact. She watched in horror as the woman pushed Crocodile roughly aside, long legs leading her up the stairs quickly to stand before Luffy, hand reaching out to cup her cheek.

"_You~_" she gushed, cheeks burning with a fiery red. "I thought I lost you!" Hancock brought Luffy into her arms, her rather generous bust smothering the younger female's face. "But here you are, like a morning angel!"

Luffy tried to pull herself away, but failed miserably, hands falling to her sides as she allowed the older woman to cling onto her.

When Hancock pushed her back slightly, her wide eyes gave her a once over before a small gasp escaped her. "I thought you were some poor maid, but by the way you're dressed now…?" Her eyes found Luffy's, lips trembling. "My little pet is of wealth? Probably some upperclassman's innocent daughter, unknowing of the cruel world out there…" Her thin brows furrowed, lips forming a soft pout as her fingers traced Luffy's lips. "My girl," she added in a faint whisper, "you'll be my princess and you'll love me and all my beauty and..."

Crocodile took to Luffy's side, saving her when he tugged her away. He sent Hancock a hard stare, a hint of curiosity laced in them. "What are you doing to_ my_ maid?" His hand remained to her waist, almost protectively in a way. "I don't recall you two knowing each other—so why are you assaulting her?"

Fury crossed the woman's eyes, her back bending backwards as one slender finger jabbed up at his face. "_HOW DARE YOU?_" Hancock screeched. "_Your maid?_" she asked as she stood straight back up, eyes hard and lips set in a firm frown. "She is _**my**_ lover, and," with a huff, she pulled Luffy back into her arms, "I will _**not**_ allow some old man to lay claim on her."

When Luffy went to protest, she was pulled into the side of Hancock's breast, muffling any cries.

"Your lover?" Crocodile questioned, tone almost that of amusement. "I'm afraid you've finally lost it." A low chuckle escaped him. "I don't have time to bother with your games, woman—hand my maid back over." His hand took to Luffy's forearm, tugging her back, but the death grip Hancock had on her haltered him.

"Do not touch her, foul man," Hancock growled as she pulled Luffy behind her. "We confessed our love for each other yesterday and I will fight for her if I must."

"We…we didn't," Luffy whimpered out, eyes dulling when none of them seemed to notice.

The expression on Crocodile's face grew in amusement, his shoulders falling back as he laughed once more. "And here I always thought you had _some_ reason to you, but now I see you're just as delusional as Doflamingo." It was then that his eyes hardened, lips dissolving from a smirk to form a heavy frown. "After the years of business we've done together,_ Hancock_, you should know how I feel about others taking _my_ things."

Luffy watched as a look of concern took to the woman's face, her shoulders stiffening and her jaw clenching. She sent her a glance, eyes softening as she took to embracing Luffy. In a whisper she said, "Do not fret—I will come for you when the time is right." Pulling away, she offered Luffy a weak glance before stepping aside, slender fingers trailing along her shoulders briefly.

"Let's go," Crocodile order as he turned, heading towards the door.

With a cocked brow, Luffy gave Hancock a confused look before following after her master. It puzzled her at how quickly the woman had given up, making her wonder exactly what type of history those two had. _How __**does**__ he get when people take his things?_Luffy wondered as she snuck a glance up to his face, taking in his satisfied look. _His things…_

When they neared the casino portion of the brothel, Crocodile's gaze fell down to hers. He cocked a brow and curiously asked, "What exactly _happened_ yesterday between you two?" His attention quickly darted over to the sound of girls cheering over a man's lucky hand at poker.

Casting her own gaze aside, Luffy did a slow shoulder roll, fighting back the urge to go red in the cheeks as memories of the day before flooded her mind. _How_ exactly was she to explain that interaction? With another shrug, she mumbled, "I'm not sure why, but she's very friendly with me…"

"_Friendly?_" he questioned, moving forward when he seemed to have spotted something interesting. "Explain in more detail…start from the very beginning." Pausing, he threw her one quick hard gaze. "And _don't _leave anything out—I know how you love to dance around the bush at times."

Following after him, she nodded after frowning softly. "Well," she began as she moved aside for a drunken gambler to stumble between them, "I, uh, went to go sit somewhere because I didn't know what to do. And apparently that was her—that woman, Hammock?"

"Hancock," Crocodile corrected as he shoved the drunken man aside, sending him a look of disgust.

"Oh, yes, Hancock—that was her room, as I was saying, and she seemed angry at first but after I declined her offers…"

He glanced down at her, shoulders tensing. "_Offers?_"

Luffy went red in the cheeks as she glanced away, hands fumbling together over her abdomen. "Ah, well," she muttered, trying to find the right words. "She insisted that I should, um, well…because of her beauty, I suppose, that I should…"

A grim expression took to his face, eyes slightly widening. "That explains why she called you her lover…" He lowered his brows, arm reaching out across her shoulders to pull her back in as he leaned towards her ear. "I presume nothing happened, yes?"

Luffy shook her head. "Nothing did, sir, but she becomes very excited whenever we interact, even though I declined all her offers." Pouting, she shrugged softly. "I'm not sure what to do about her…"

He nodded, clearly pleased but there was a tint of worry in his eyes. "It seems I should become wary of that woman if she has set her eyes on you—I never took her for the lovesick type, but I suppose there is a first for everything."

They neared one of the poker tables, one familiar driver sitting in one of the seats with two girls clinging over his shoulders.

"You are not to be alone with that woman," Crocodile ordered sternly before leaving to approach Daz. "Finish this up—I'm ready to leave for the day."

The driver sent one blank glance up at his employer, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. With a soft huff, he placed his cards down before arising stiffly, the girls falling off of him. "I'll be back," he simply said to his new found group.

Crocodile gave an amused smile. "How long have you've been at that?" he questioned, gesturing at the poker table.

Daz—who was fixing his suit and tie—shrugged. "I remember you giving us permission to explore—and then there was this girl, or was it two?" He blinked twice, offering Luffy one confused stare as he gave a quick once over of her dress. "They were _nice_ and the next thing I know, I was gambling with a new set of girls clinging onto me."

Fishing out a cigar, Crocodile nodded before sticking it to his mouth. "Well, as soon as we are finished for the day, you may return to such…_activities_." Exhaling some smoke, he glanced over to Luffy when they neared the exit. "We have a lot to do today."

* * *

"And for you, m'lady?" The waiter looked to her with soft eyes, awaiting her order eagerly.

Luffy glanced over the menu in her hands, taking in all the strange and delicious sounding dishes printed about. _Everything_ seemed good and she found it hard to pick just _one_. With one sly glance to Crocodile, she remembered his promise that early morning. _He said he'd buy me anything my heart desired…so what if it desires the entire menu?_

With a slight nod, she placed her menu down and sent one firm look up to the waiter. "All of it," she determined then, tone strong and true.

The young male cocked a brow, clearly confused. "_It?_" he questioned. "And what is _it_ you wanted, ma'am?"

Luffy almost blushed at being referred to as such, but she kept her composure calm. "The menu," she answered, pointing one slender finger at the list of food. "I want all of _it_."

The waiter's eyes widened slightly, as if he wasn't sure if Luffy was being serious or not. "The…the _entire_ menu, m'lady?" He went to offer Crocodile a confused look, who was only sporting a dull expression.

"Stop messing around and pick something out," he ordered Luffy before slumping back in his seat. He met the boy's look and reassured him that, "She doesn't mean everything."

"I do," she corrected firmly, pointing once more at the menu. "It all sounds good, so I want to try it all."

Crocodile's lower eyelid twitched for a second before he asked, "You're being serious here?"

"B-but that would be impossible," the waiter tried to explain, lips trembling as he began to break out into a nervous sweat. "We…we can't prepare all the food at once like that…"

Crocodile silenced him with a wave of his hand. "She'll have a basic platter of typical breakfast items—a large portion if you can, and nothing else." He met her hard gaze, ignoring the pout she was sporting. When the waiter scurried off to put in their orders, he simply stated, "When I said I'd buy you what you wanted, I didn't mean the whole damn restaurant."

Crossing her arms, Luffy fell back against her seat, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "I want it though," she muttered back, eyes glancing aside.

Crocodile shook his head before leaning forward in his own seat. "First, I can't even begin to understand how you can pack so much food into that little body." Pausing, his brows lowered when her eyes met his. "Second, sit up—it isn't considered proper to slouch like you are."

Frowning, she sat upwards, uncrossing her arms when she caught an elderly couple side-glancing her. "I don't like all these rules," she whispered, trying to make sure none of the other diners could hear her. "It's too much."

He offered her a slight shrug and a smirk. "That's the price to pay for having wealth. I'm not surprised keeping up with social standards is proving to be a difficult task for someone such as yourself."

Her expression dulled at his hidden insult. "I can handle it," she snapped back with a low huff. _If anything, I should be praised for being able to last this long in this stupid __**tight **__outfit._Luffy picked at the corner of her dress, trying to shift aside the corset underneath as it was pinching the side of her chest.

"Stop that," Crocodile ordered after sending his a disapproving frown. "You're failing miserable at being a lady of high class."

Luffy sent him a dismissing wave before lifting her hands up to fix her bodice, feeling a bit of relief as she got it to undo just a tad bit. It felt much better than, the tightness around her chest dying down just enough for her to comfortably breath.

Rolling his eyes, Crocodile glanced off to the side when the waiter returned with two plates. "Here you go, Sir," he began, placing down a platter of eggs and steak for the older of two. "And for m'lady," he added before giving her a platter. It was filled as much as possible with every type of breakfast food, prompting her to smile widely.

While it wasn't the serving size she had first hoped for, she figured it would do her over until lunch time. Clapping her hands together, she happily thanked the young man and went straight for her fork. Greedily, she took one big bite, eyes widening at the wonderful tastes. "So good," she said, mouth full of food.

Crocodile's shoulders fell in defeat. With a huff, he said, "Getting you to behave properly is proving to be a difficult task." When she sent him a confused glance, he shook his head and dully ordered her to finish eating.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day going about town, visiting attractions and dining at wonderful restaurants. At one point, he took Luffy to a play house where he introduced her with her fake story, going on to explain to _certain_ people that she was there to help her grandfather organize some _imported_ shipments.

The others would nod and happily chat with her, asking questions about how she was liking that side of the country and her relations to the older male. Some were more hesitant in talking with her, as if they could tell something was wrong. And some didn't even bother—too busy in their own little world.

Crocodile answered all of the more in-depth questions for her, occasionally bringing up the fact that she was there to deal with shipments and even offering a fake family name to add to the story. Luffy found it strange, but eventually didn't really bother to think about it anymore.

After such visits, with the day slowly morphing into night, Crocodile took her to one last stop.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly when as they approached a building, Daz lingering past them to another entrance. The area before them seemed barren and vacant, and the building appeared more like a warehouse than anything. If she listened closely, she could hear the sounds of the beach nearby.

"Checking on something," he answered before pushing a door open. The smell of wood and fish struck her nostrils, prompting her to frown. "Behave yourself or I'll send you back to wait with Daz."

With a mute nod, she followed him in. There were not many options to go—two hallways, one leading to a staircase and another leading to the main chamber of the warehouse. They took the latter of the two choices and upon entering the room, she quickly took notice to all the crates lying about

_What is all of this…?_

A scruffy man appeared from somewhere in the back, face drenched in sweat. "You're early, you're early," he said as he approached Crocodile, offering Luffy one absentminded glance. "Crates are not even closed to ready—not today, at least."

Crocodile glanced over to one of the opened crates before approaching it, hand dipping inside. He pulled out a glass bottle filled with a strange liquid Luffy had no clue about. He swooshed the contents inside before smiling and tucking it into his pocket. "How long?" he asked then, offering the man a coy look.

The worker huffed, glancing off to the other crates for a long moment. "By the end of the week, probably. We'll ship them off for you, like always, boss."

Crocodile nodded. "And the other shipments…? Have they've arrived yet?"

"No—a storm has delayed them last time we made contact." The man sniffed a little before running the back of his hand across his forehead. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but standing around here only means it'll be longer until I can ship out these crates."

Crocodile smirked at the statement before nodding and turning around. "I'll expect word if any new developments occur." With that, he placed his hand on Luffy's shoulder to move her along.

When they returned back to the main entrance, she cocked her gaze down at his pocket. "What…what was in those crates?" It didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before and the strange liquid inside look rather intimidating. _And why were there so many crates of them in that warehouse…?_

Crocodile offered a thin smile. "You'll find out soon enough," he answered, motioning for her to walk up the stairs. Frowning slightly, she did as such, feeling as the air began to cool down as they made their ascent.

Pushing past her, Crocodile went for the first door on the right. A group of people were already inside—some sitting about playing a hand of poker, others spread out on the floor seemingly dazed out with small smiles. One of the men inside glanced their way briefly before smirking and returning back to whatever he was doing. "Boss," the man greeted simply. "The new shipments have arrived…"

The older male nodded once, a grim look forming upon his face. "I can tell." Moving forward, he went towards another door. "Over here," Crocodile order Luffy when she stopped to gaze upon a pair of two giggling women lying on the floor wearing only their undergarments. She felt her heartbeat pound, and as she sent a worried look over her employer, she was met with the back of his head as he entered another room. "This way," he called out again, tone growing annoyed.

Hesitantly, she tip-toed over the group of people scattered about, winching when she brushed up against one of the poker players. He sent her a dull stare before laughing briefly.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The new room was completely vacant and it oddly resembled the office Crocodile had back in the mansion. There were more chairs, though, and even a long sofa towards the back.

"Sit over there," he ordered her after shutting the door. "It's been a long day, and you did…_alright_ in regards to playing the role of a proper little lady." He sent her a sly smirk after that statement, approaching the desk to pull out a small black case.

When Luffy sat on the sofa, she watched curiously as he unzipped it open. From her position, she couldn't clearly tell what was inside, but her eyes widened slightly when he removed a needle. He rolled it briefly between his fingers before glancing her way.

"Do you know what this is?" he questioned before sitting down across from her on the sofa. He pulled out the bottle, placing it between them as he played around with the needle.

Luffy shook her head before grabbing the bottle, eyeing its contents more clearly. "What is it?" she asked softly when she couldn't recognize the liquid.

Placing the needle aside, he took the bottle and swooshed it. "It's fairly new, or so I'm told," he began, placing the bottle next to the needle before turning towards her completely. His hand reached out for the top button of her dress, undoing it as he continued. "It's a drug, to put it simply—one that is quite stronger than anything else. While it's not popular at the moment, I've taken an interest in it and I'm certain with the proper trade routes, it can become big within this country."

He pushed her back, so that she was leaning against the armrest, and a frown came to him when a corset was revealed beneath the first layer of the dress. "Yes," he murmured softly, tone annoyed. "These types of dresses are the difficult ones." With a huff, he pulled back and took the bottle into his hand. "Take off the dress so I can see your arm."

Lowering her brows, she glanced at the needle before silently pulling the first layer of the dress off. Once doing so, she gasped quietly when he took her arm, and when she tried to pull back, he traced his fingers across her cheek.

"_Calm down_," he told her softly, eyes searching hers. "I'm not going to hurt you—this will make you feel good, I promise." His fingers left her face to trace down her arm before laying it across his lap. "It'll only be a pinch, but the feeling afterwards is well worth it."

While she was more than nervous about doing such a thing, she couldn't force the protests out of her throat, remaining awkward and mute as he placed the now opened bottle into her hand.

"Hold it still for me," he quietly ordered as he took the needle, popping off the cap to reveal the sharp metal tip. He pressed the end into through the bottle's rim and filled the needle up with the liquid. His eyes met hers as he took the bottle away from her and sat it aside upon the floor.

For a quick second, he squirted just a tad bit of the liquid out.

Her face paled as he drew the needle's tip towards her arm, her muscles beginning to contract and her breathing starting to become unsteady. "I've never done anything like this," she began, voice pitchy.

He broke her skin and pressed the needle in, earning a soft pained whine from her. "There's a first for everything," he told her as he pressed the plunger down, injecting most of the liquid into her body. When he removed the tool, she could still see some liquid left in it. "Lay down," he ordered as he pushed her flat upon the sofa. "Breathe and relax—when it _hits_ you, you'll feel new sensations you never thought possible."

Her fingers curled inward as she felt something tingle in her arm—the liquid was rushing in her veins, up up up and _fast_. She watched with wide eyes—blank of any emotion—as Crocodile rolled up the sleeve to his handless arm. He injected the rest of the liquid easily into his vein, offering her a coy smirk afterwards.

He tossed the needle aside, leaning in towards her body to trace her clavicles. "I was once told that—while it is hard to achieve—having an orgasm on this drug is beyond any other pleasurable feeling." His hand dipped to the ties of her corset, slowly pulling the strings loose as he brought his mouth to the nape of her neck. "Can you feel _it_?" he asked, a smile breaking out on his lips.

Luffy remained silent but she indeed felt _it,_ this odd yet blissful feeling. Her skin was afire with tingling sensations and her body felt utterly relaxed, more so than she'd ever been. Any panic that was once lingering in her mind had melted into pure glee, a smile beginning to form on her lips when she felt fingers trace along her now exposed breast.

Her own fingertips reached out to touch him—just to feel him, to make sure that he was still there. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. When she felt something move between her legs, she fluttered her eyes shut and shuttered with a smile.

Lips touched her inner thigh, hand snaking over her hip and pulling her in tight. He took her in his mouth but the feeling was _erupting _everywhere. Smiles and whimpers was all she could make and strange—yet humorous—thoughts entered her mind.

Something wet entered her and she _had_ to dig her nails into the sofa. Her breathing was an unsteady pattern—sharp inhales, slow _intoxicating_ exhales. The vibrations from the others in the adjoin room stimulated her ears—the sounds of cheers and laughs causing her to open her eyes and glance off.

Somebody else was in there, _watching_, smiling—and while she would had normally panicked at such an intrusion, she couldn't help but smile softly and glance back up to the ceiling. When the sensations began to swarm down into that _one_ spot, she brought her hands to the back of Crocodile's head, soft whimpers now filling the room and overriding any cheers made by the watchers.

When it struck, it struck hard.

Her entire body undid itself beneath him, muscles contracting in pleasurable waves. Her chest arched forward as the release increased and one long mewl of a cry escaped her. When he removed his mouth from between her legs, she could feel him move his body until his member was pressing down there—but it didn't matter, she was already lost in another world.

And it didn't matter how many times Crocodile had her that night, nor how long the others watched. Nothing in that room but that high existed.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Last day out of town. Luffy spends a bit of time with Law before leaving. They return to the mansion to find a surprising guest.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**A/N2: Sorry that the chapter was shorter than usual and that I didn't update that much. My brain was fried from the last round of exams I did ): Updating might be a little off in the next few weeks, but only because it's getting close to finals.**


	19. Arrival

**Warning: There is a quick little M-Rated scene—isn't too much compared to previous chapters, but after writing it I decided that I might as well give a warning. Again, "oOoOoOo" marks the beginning of such.**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Arrival

A hand tapped her cheek.

"Get dressed," a voice followed, soft yet stern at the same time.

Her eyes glazed from the ceiling to the face hovering over her, meeting a narrowed stare. Luffy had no idea when she came too or what exactly happened mere hours ago, but she blinked and found herself feeling drowsy. She fluttered her eyes shut, wanting to drift off to sleep but seemingly failing to do so.

The hand tapped her cheek once more but she was able to bring her own hand up to swat it away. She rolled over to her side, tucking her chin into her arm. If she just stayed like that for a while, she figured she could fall asleep.

Her body was lifted upwards, face and shoulder crashing into somebody's arms. Her head became light and she frowned. "Wake up," the voice ordered, prompting her to open her eyes and dully glance up. "It's time to go."

Inhaling deeply, she shifted to rest back on her palms, leaning away from the person beside her. "Where…where am I?" she asked softly, glancing across the familiar looking room. There was a desk and chairs, a window with the curtains drawled back—_an office, perhaps?_

Something warm was placed over her shoulders and she brought her fingers up to trace the fabric. It was a black—_a suit top?_ Her eyes glazed back, hand falling down to the floor.

The person was now standing, holding out her dress—the real pretty one Crocodile gave her the day before. _How did it get off of me?_ Blinking, she yawned and watched as the man handed it her way.

He stood there mute for a second, offering her an awkward stare. "Do you need help?" he asked then, kneeling down when she laid the dress upon her lap. When she gave him a lazy nod and felt herself drifting off, he snapped his fingers in her face. "You need to stay awake now, alright?" he ordered, hands clinging to her shoulders to keep her still.

Widening her gaze, she nodded once more, reaching down for the garment and feeling around for the opening. She blinked twice and tried her best to sit fully up, regretting immediately afterwards due to the dizziness that struck her.

"Alright," the man said after a huff, taking the dress out of her hands and bunching it up. He lifted it up and pulled it over her head—knocking the suit off her shoulders all the while. He took her arms and worked them through the sleeves. "This isn't my job," he muttered coldly when her head popped through the neck portion of the dress. "But with you drugged out of you mind right now…" There was anger hidden in his tone and Luffy found herself frowning.

Her hand touched the man's cheek gently before she whispered, "I'm sorry." The words came out weak and a bit sloppy but she felt a _lot_ better after saying such.

The man's eyes rolled and a heavy sigh filled the room. His hands went to button up the bust portion of the dress, patting her cheek once more when finished. "Come on now," he said then, scooping her up into his arms and lifting her up high.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she muttered out with a weak smile as she was flung over the man's shoulder. She felt bubbly in her stomach and a laugh escaped her.

The man knelt down briefly to pick up her shoes and then went for the door. They entered another room—a couple of people lying about, all asleep—and he continued on, towards a staircase. "The things I do…"

The night air was cold and Luffy shivered. They came to a car, somebody slumped inside. The door opened and she was dumped in, the man glancing down at her as she fell back against the other person.

Daz offered her one quick smirk before closing the door and taking to the driver's side. The car came to life and Luffy found herself leaning farther back into the other person beside her, head cranking back to look upwards.

Crocodile's glazed-over eyes found hers, his chest rising and falling softly from his breathing. His hand took to falling over her arm, pulling her flat on his lap before tracing the pattern on her dress.

No words were spoken and the car drove off into the night.

* * *

By the time they arrived back to the brothel—morning hours breaking through the night—Luffy had snapped out of her daze. No longer did she feel the bubbling sensations nor the light headedness, and she constantly found herself rubbing at the spot where the needle was injected in her arm.

Crocodile—still a bit out of it himself—had positioned her upon his lap, arm across her thighs to keep her steady as the car bounced about. He would occasional play with her necklace a bit before glancing off out through the window. At other times, he would close his eyes before nodding off to only snap them open seconds later and glance about quickly, as if in a panic.

At such moments, Luffy would press her fingers gently to his chest or lips, as a way to calm him down silently. It was strange seeing him as such and while she, herself, felt a bit sluggish, she was alert enough to tell that Crocodile was still riding the effects of whatever drug they had shared.

When the car pulled over, Luffy quickly glanced out the window, blinking as she tried to adjust her blurred vision—due to the lack of sleep. Inhaling softly, she turned to the older male and reached out to touch his shoulder. "We're back," she informed him before scooting off his lap.

She took his coat—which was lying on the other seat—and pressed it to him. "Here," she said as she helped him lean forward to put the coat on, "it might be cold out."

Crocodile nodded silently and once the door opened, he turned his attention to the driver.

"_Sir?_" Daz asked quietly as he held the door wide open. "Do you need assistance getting out…?"

Their employer shook his head _no_ as he got out, stumbling only a tad. Luffy quickly followed after, grabbing onto his arm when it looked like he was about to fall over. There was a cold mist out, the ground covered in puddles from what appeared to be a light shower.

Daz sent her a quick glance laced with slight worry. "Are you sure you don't need any assistance, sir?" he asked once more, his tone sterner than before.

"I'm _fine_," Crocodile snapped back before bringing his hand up to squeeze the bridge of his nose. A low groan escaped his lips before he exhaled. "I just need to go lie down for a moment…" He went forward, leaving Luffy and Daz to watch him blankly from the car.

"Make sure he gets some rest," the driver told Luffy before closing the door. "And when he snaps out of it, get some food in him."

Luffy nodded before taking a step forward, pausing, and cocking one glance back at Daz. "Thanks for helping me out back there," she whispered, blinking when he casted his gaze aside, as if embarrassed.

"Just get going," he ordered her dully, turning around to return back to the car.

With a soft smile, she did just that, quickly heading for her employer to aid him back to his room. Not many were up at that hour, a few gamblers playing some early morning rounds, a couple of girls sweeping the main lobby floor. Nobody seemed to pay them any mind as they went up the stairs, Luffy trying her best to keep Crocodile steady enough.

He only tripped once—_maybe twice_—and that was victory enough for the maid.

Upon entering the room, Luffy lead him to the bed, shoving a pillow under his head when he flopped over. She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing back strands from his face. "You should sleep now," she suggested. "I'll go to a nearby shop to pick you up something to eat."

Nodding, his eyes fell heavy. He gestured his hand off towards the desk before saying, "Take some money from over there then."

Getting off the bed, she quickly approached the desk and glanced about before sending him a confused stare.

"In the drawer," he explained before rolling over to bury his face into the pillow, coat falling off his shoulders.

She pulled the top drawer open and glanced at the random items scattered about. There were stacks of paper and pens, a few odd trinkets, and a black coin bag. Smiling, she opened it and fished out a few coins and bills, placing them upon the desktop. Before closing the drawer, her stare caught the corner of folded letter peeking out from under the stacks of paper. Hesitantly, she sent a quick look over to Crocodile, taking notice of how his body was faced away from her.

Swallowing, she gently pulled the letter out and opened it, reading:

_If you're reading this, I can only assume Hancock was successful in passing along the message._

_The Australian routes is an all-go—have one of your men meet mine at the regular spot on the fifth of next month and they'll exchange the packages. If I don't hear word from my man within twenty-four hours of the exchange, I can only assume something went amidst and pull out from our arrangement._

_Once you do your share, I will contact you shortly after, and from there, you, Hancock, and I can discuss taking down Doflamingo, Newgate, and Teach._

_-K_

Frowning, she stared hard at the signature. _K…? _While she had no idea what name that could have stood for, she was more interested in the bit about teaming up against Doflamingo and the other two. _Crocodile…is going to betray Doflamingo?_ She tucked the card back into the drawer before sending one more glance towards her employer. _**What**__ is he going to do?_

Closing the drawer, she went to the corner of the bed, picking up her maid uniform from where she left it the day before. Slipping out of her dress, she quickly pulled the work outfit on, brushing down the skirt and nodding once before taking the money and leaving the room.

It felt much more _comfortable_ in the uniform than it did in the dress.

A thin smile came to her as she headed down the hallway, fists clenched. Had she just stumbled across some helpful information? _It might help Ace out…but who is this 'K' person? _She figured her brother might have an answer, or perhaps some vague idea. _And if not, the part about Doflamingo might be enough to get Ace out of his debt._

Yet, by revealing such information to Ace, and ultimately to that Teach guy, she would be betraying Crocodile. Frowning, she found her pace slowing, eyes falling down upon the floor of the hallway. A strange feeling picked at her gut—guilt, pity, or something else? She couldn't tell.

As strange as it sounded, part of her felt _close_ to the old man, and while she wasn't sure if she could consider him a friend just yet, she did feel _some_ type of bond with him. But what said bond was, she had no idea.

A month ago, she could have easily betrayed him all for the sake of assisting Ace, but now, after many nights and moments spent together, Luffy began to find such ideas and plans difficult.

Sighing, she shook her head slightly. _When it comes down to it, I'll have to choose between staying loyal to Ace or becoming loyal to Crocodile. _Deep down inside, she knew her brother would always come first, but she couldn't help but feel saddened at the thought of betraying Crocodile.

_Too bad I can't be loyal to both…_

When she neared the entrance to the brothel inn, she found herself stumbling upon a rather interesting scene. Sprawled out on the floor in front of the entrance was a mass of pink feathers, two slender long legs sticking out in a bent fashion. Behind the feathery mass were two men—one Luffy was well familiar with and another she had only seen once.

With arms crossed and face grim, Law nudged the tip of his shoe into the pink coat. "Get up—you're making a scene."

The blonde beside him nodded silently as he took to lighting a cigarette.

A strange moan of a protest escaped the man on the floor, hands poking out of the coat to cover his ears. "Hush baby bird, daddy is trying to sleep now."

With a roll of his eyes, Law leaned forward to grab onto the coat to try and pull the man up. "It's too early in the morning for this crap and you're blocking the exit." He let out a huff as he tried to tug upwards, frowning heavily when failing to do so.

The smoking blonde beside him shook his head slowly as he knelt down. Picking at the top of the coat, he pulled it up to reveal Doflamingo's head.

"Go away, _Corazon._" The bird man whined as he shoved his palm into the other blonde's face. "I'm trying to sleep here and you two are being complete fucker bummers right now." He proceeded to pull his coat away from the other to cover his face back up.

The younger blonde gave a weak shrug to Law while standing back up, arms crossing as his head tilted to the side, as if alarmed. Something was burning, an overpowering smell filling the hallway.

Law's expression dulled. "You're on fire, again," he stated simply before glancing forward, blinking when he found Luffy staring at them. With a small smirk, he walked over Doflamingo to approach her, earning a loud—_annoyed_—grunt from the bird with every step.

As he did as such, Luffy found herself in awe as the younger blonde flopped about on the floor beside Doflamingo, clearly trying to extinguish the flames on his black coat. "He's…" she began, offering Law a worried yet confused expression.

He answered with a dismissive wave. "They'll be fine," he informed her, hand touching her shoulder to lead her past them towards the exit. "Just don't make eye contact and you'll be safe."

"Where's baby bird flying off too?" Doflamingo questioned as he popped his head out from beneath his coat. "And what's that smell?"

"Your brother is on fire," Law answered after a dull huff as he held the door open for Luffy. "And I don't have time to bother with you two right now." And with that, he slammed the door shut, cutting off any whiny protests from the mess of feathers.

She cocked her head back to glance at the door. "Are they going to be…?" Luffy began, stopping when Law cut her off.

"Fine?" he finished for her before sending her one firm nod. "Yes—those two…it's _hard_ to explain."

"But how are you so calm right now?" she questioned then, flicking her stare up to his and forming a small pout. "That one man was on _fire_."

Law shrugged his shoulders. "After years of dealing with those two, one becomes…_immune_—but there is the occasional side effect of frustration and utter despair." He smirked at his own joke, prompting Luffy to nod silently. His hand touched her shoulder once more. "You shouldn't waste any energy worrying, trust me—Doflamingo isn't worth it and Corazon can handle himself."

They took to a slow pace down the pathway leading to the open streets. "Are you going somewhere?" Law asked after a mute minute.

Nodding, Luffy quickly glanced down both sides of the street. "I have to go pick up breakfast for my master," she explained, crossing her arms when she couldn't figure out which way to go. "I'm not really sure where I can find a place open so early…"

Law offered her a thin smile. "I know of one," he started, pointing down the street. "It's that restaurant I told you about the other day—they offer take out." Pausing, he met her stare. "We can eat first and then you can take the food back to that old man."

Luffy smiled at his comment before casting her gaze away. "I only have enough money..."

"I'll pay."

She tried her best to hide her giddy smile. _I knew doctors were good for food money._ She blushed at the thought of eating out again, ordering yummy food with all expenses paid. _It's nice no having to worry about paying for food_, she thought then, offering Law a sly smirk.

"Alright," she agreed, happily clutching onto his arm. She could feel his muscles tense up quickly beneath her touch, but relax just as fast. "If you _insist_ on paying."

A confused look formed upon his face as he escorted her down the street. "You seem very _excited_," he observed, cocking one brow. "I assume you're the type who enjoys eating?"

A wide grin took to her. "You can say that," she answered softly, evil gaze leaving his stare to fall to the ground. She felt his chest rise from a silent laugh.

"I'm not surprised," he revealed then. "You're so skinny and probably starving…does that employer of yours even properly feed you?" His expression had melted from an amused state to an annoyed one. "He looks like the type that doesn't care about his servants. At least with Doflamingo…" He stopped at that, shaking his head.

Luffy's own happy expression died soon after. While she never considered Crocodile cruel towards her—_personally_—she did have moments where she thought him to be a bit too much. _But in regards to food and shelter, he's more than generous…but when it comes to other things…_ "My master is kind enough," she simply answered, causing Law to send her a firm stare.

"You don't have to call him that around me," he informed her as they turned down a corner. When she sent him a puzzled look, he added, "You don't need to act like a servant around me, I mean. While he may require you to speak in such…_formalities_, I find it all tedious and pointless." He offered her a soft smirk. "He doesn't own you; therefore, you can relax when not in his presence."

"Oh," she answered then, understanding his points. He made sense—he made _a lot_ of sense. "I guess you're right," she added then, a small smile returning back to her. "You're really smart."

Law nodded, cocking one brow and flashing her a smirk. "I have to be if I plan on becoming a doctor." After another moment, he stopped, head tilting downwards as his eyes searched hers.

Pulling away, Luffy clasped her hands together over her chest, cocking one brow. "Is something wrong?"

Law blinked once before bringing the back of his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. "You look tired, and a bit pale," he finally answered, shifting his weight to lean on his right leg. "Do you feel alright?"

She nodded her head _yes_, smiling at the doctor in him coming out. "I'm fine," she answered firmly, "just a long night, that's all."

Law glanced back towards the brothel, frowning ever so slightly. "I didn't realize being a maid could be such a tiring task." Returning his gaze to hers, his expression lightened. "Don't overwork yourself, or you _might_ actually get sick."

Cocking her head, Luffy nodded before sweetly asking, "If I ever do, will you be my own personal doctor?"

A slight tone of pink arose in his cheeks quickly before dying when he turned his attention aside. A smirk played with the corner of his lips and Luffy watched as he continued down the street, not bothering to answer her question.

Confused, Luffy just shrugged it off and continued after.

* * *

While the restaurant was by no means as formal as the one Crocodile took her to the day before, Luffy found herself at ease with this new one, happily chewing down on _all_ the plates Law bought for her. Yes, he got her _everything _she wanted off the menu without a bat of the eye, and nobody around them seemed to mind. Everybody was lost in their own world, with no standards or formal etiquettes to follow by. If anything, the biggest oddity that morning with their dining experience was Law's absolute refusal to eat any bread products.

"I hate the taste," he explained when she questioned him on the matter, completely taken aback that somebody could hate such a yummy food product. "The texture is strange and I was just never one for bread."

Forcing back a quiet laugh, Luffy responded by waving a piece of toast in front of him, watching as his expression morphed into that of grimace. "You're strange," she finally determined before taking a bite out of the product, smiling when he threw her a hard stare.

With one finger pointed her way, he retorted with, "If anybody here is strange, it's _you_." He paused to take a bite of his scrambled eggs, swallowing and quickly adding, "Besides, compared to the mountain of food you ordered, me not eating bread isn't the biggest issue here—I knew you must have been starving."

Luffy shook her head as she picked at her pancakes, swirling a piece up in some syrup. "I just have a…_strong_ appetite."

Law shook his hand dismissingly and took to drinking some orange juice. Placing, the glass back down to the table, he leaned forward in his seat slightly and said, "You should come work for Doflamingo. While he can be a complete pain in the ass sometimes—_most of the time_—he's good on keeping his servants paid and fed."

Luffy frowned, remembering all her past interactions with the blonde flamingo. "He's a bit…_touchy_," she answered softly with a small shrug. "I don't particular like that man."

The doctor in training nodded, his brows arching. "Not many do," he added. "Well," he said then, offering her a smirk, "you can always quit your job as a maid and do something more with your life."

She blinked at his statement once before glancing away. "_More?_" she found herself repeating, unsure of what he meant. Returning her stare back to his, she simply stated, "Being a maid is the best I can do at the moment."

Of course, if she looked hard enough, she could probably find a job that she would enjoy, but when it came right down to it, her position as Crocodile's maid promised her two things: _one_, basic needs such as food, shelter, pay, and _two_, potential information to feed back to Ace. Yes there were _costs_ to working such a job, but at that moment and time, she didn't particular mind them.

"There's more to life than being a maid," he objected, tone growing in excitement. "You can travel the world, like an adventure of sorts, or perhaps go to a university."

Luffy couldn't help but giggle at his silly ideas. "I'm too poor to travel and going to a university is out of the question for somebody like me."

Law shook his head in defiance. "Only if you keep up that attitude it is," he retorted. "You'd be surprise at how many colleges are out there for women, and I'm sure if you looked into it, you could find one to your suiting." Pausing, he nodded once before adding, "I'm certain you won't live a fulfilling life if you stay _his_ maid."

Tilting her head, Luffy brought her index finger up to her chin as she thought over his words. "Well," she began softly, "I don't plan on staying his maid for that long, but I doubt I could ever make it into a college, even one of those all women ones." With a shrug, she concluded, "Maybe I can be your assistant or something when you become a mob doctor?"

A small smile grew on Law's face. "That may be a long time from now—I still have many years left to go before I get even close to collecting any degrees." Pausing, he slumped back into his seat before adding, "I'm not becoming a mob doctor, by the way. I don't know how many times I must stress that to you."

Laughing, Luffy said, "But where's the fun in being just a regular old doctor, huh? Where's your _own_ sense of adventure?" She smiled at his annoyed expression—it wasn't one of anger towards her, but of frustration and perhaps a bit of fluster. _He looks…cute with that face…_

After a silent moment, Law changed the subject.

"When are you returning back to the mansion?" he asked as he picked at some fruit, narrowed gaze fixated on the juice running down his fingers.

"Today, I think," she answered before gobbling down the rest of her pancakes. "And you?"

Law shrugged. "Doflamingo wants to stay another week, but I'm just about ready to leave." His eyes flickered up to meet hers as he wiped down his fingers on a napkin. "There really won't be anything interesting here for me by tomorrow."

His words—when they clicked in her head—made her cheeks grow hot.

"Oh," she muttered softly, eyes darting around—anywhere _but_ his gaze. "Well, I'm sure you can find _something_ to do to entertain yourself…?"

With a dry huff, he simply answered, "I suppose there is always the prostitutes at the inn."

Her gaze snapped to his, wide and in shock.

He laughed as he shook his head. "I'm kidding," he informed her before laughing once more. "I wouldn't bother with such women when… when I think I've found somebody more interesting to devote my attention to." An awkward silence passed them, with Law sporting a wide-eyed look, as if panicked over what he just revealed, and Luffy sporting a rather confused one.

Her once happy smile had morphed into a firm line, a sting stabbing at her gut. _He has somebody?_ Frowning, she wondered what person had caught his attention, prompting her to become…_upset? Worried?_

_Jealous?_

Trying to fight back the pout, Luffy clasped both sides of her cheeks and muttered out, "I didn't realize you were seeing somebody…" _But why should that even matter to me if he is…? _ She wanted to bolt for some strange reason, the icky feeling in her stomach building with every passing second.

When she went to remove herself from the table, Law stopped her by placing his hand over hers, causing her to widen her stare. "While I never meant to say what I just did—at least, not this soon—I can't help but admit I'm taken aback that my statement went completely over your head."

Cocking her brow, she sent him a puzzled look. "I don't understand…?"

His hands shot up to rub his face, a dull look taking to his eyes. "This morning is going completely _wrong_ from how I planned it out to be." His tone was _almost_ a whine, as if he were frustrated. "It's hard to be around you sometimes…"

Pushing herself up, Luffy balled her fists up before huffing, more upset than ever. "You're not making any sense, but if you're going to sit there and be mean like that, then I'm going back to the inn." And with that, she quickly grabbed the bag of Crocodile's breakfast and twirled around, a frown glued on her face.

'_Hard to be around' me, like I'm some nuisance? _Pushing the restaurant door open, she took a sharp turn towards the street, ignoring Law's calls to her. _He's the one hard to be around, taking me all the way out here only to say such mean things!_ But most importantly, she couldn't get her mind off of who he was interested in. She didn't know why she felt so strongly over such an idea, why him saying something like that made her stomach drop as it did.

In her anger, she failed to notice the carriage barreling right for her. Hands quickly took to her forearm as her eyes went wide, pulling her back onto the side of the street and into the safety of one's arms.

"_**Idiot!**_" his voice snapped, arms clutching her tight. "You almost ran her over!"

With her face to his chest, Luffy glanced upwards, narrowing her stare at Law's angry expression. She couldn't help but take in the scent of his shirt from being so close and she felt her cheeks warm up. Pushing herself away, she flattened down her uniform before crossing her arms and glancing away.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes searching her body.

Luffy nodded silently. While she was very grateful for him practically saving her life just then, she still couldn't help but still feel upset over his earlier words.

His hand took to her shoulder, his expression growing hard. "You shouldn't blindly walk out into the street like that," he scolded, other hand taking her other shoulder to face her fully towards him. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

"So?" she answered in a sharp tone before glancing away, too annoyed to look him in the eyes.

"You're acting like a child!" he objected when she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "You completely misunderstood me back there and now you're throwing a tantrum."

Huffing, she stomped her foot lightly on the ground. "How can I understand you when you don't make any sense at all?" she whined, offering him a frustrated look.

"I don't know how else to say this…" His hands took to her cheeks, holding her still as he searched her eyes. "You're a complete and utter oblivious idiot and I don't know how I ended up liking such a person."

"I'm _not_ an idiot," she snapped back, angry at how easily he could say such mean things.

His lower eyelid twitched for a second. "You _completely_ missed the most important part of what I just said there."

Trying to pull herself away, she ended up grabbing his wrists before suggesting, "Why don't you go find that person you like so much, huh? Maybe she can deal with your mean attitude." When she tried to tug herself away once more, Law stopped her by grabbing her wrists.

"There_ isn't_ another woman," he slowly responded, tone growing in frustration. "You've got it _completely_ backwards."

Narrowing her stare, Luffy cocked a brow as she thought it over. After a moment, her expression relaxed slightly as she mouthed out an _O_, prompting him to smile, as if thinking she finally understood what he was getting out. "So it's a man?"

He started to nod, but quickly snapped his eyes open midway. "_**No!**_" he rejected loudly, causing her to jump. "_No, no, no,_" he repeated, voice growing weaker with each rejection. "I can't believe you're not putting the dots together."

A defeated exhale escaped her. "Then _what_ is it?" she questioned. "I can't figure you out at all."

Law pulled away, his hands returning to his face. His fingers began to squeeze the bridge of his nose, a dry huff leaving his mouth. "I wasn't exactly ready to say this at this moment, but I've come to realize that I may not have another chance to do so in a long time."

"Do _what?_" she asked, crossing her arms once more as she cocked a brow. _Why can't he just get straight to the point? If he's just going to say more mean things…_

Sending her a weak stare, Law took her shoulders once more and quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry to be so forward, but I don't know how else to tell you." He brought his face to hers and their lips met, forming a quick yet soft kiss.

When he pulled away, Luffy watched a look of panic cross his eyes, her fingers reaching up to cover her mouth, eyes growing in shock.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, a pale tone taking to his face. "Do you understand now?"

Luffy nodded silently.

"And?" he asked then, fingers tightening on her shoulders, clearly nervous.

"And what?" she muttered softly, still surprised as she finally began to piece together all his clues.

His gaze widened. "I…I can't help but feel infatuated whenever I'm around you, and I've tried to figure out why this is so." Pausing, he quickly added, "I mean, you're a maid…a maid of a different mob, and you're naïve fool, and while I typically find such traits annoying, I can't help but feel at ease around you."

Luffy tilted her head slightly, a warmth building up in her body.

"I never intended to say these things this morning, but then one thing led to another and I realize I might not have another chance to do so. I don't want to go on thinking _what if_…" His eyes searched hers frantically for a moment. "And you're just standing her silent which _must_ mean you're not interested and I'm the one looking like an idiot, rambling on and on and on."

She giggled at his nervous state, hands covering her face as she fought back the soft laughter. When she peeped through her fingers, she caught him sending her a confused look laced with fear, as if he were regretting even speaking in the first place.

"You should have just said that from the start," she said softly, leaning forward to press her face into his chest, hiding her blushing expression. She felt bad for misunderstanding him earlier, now realizing what he was trying to imply back in the restaurant. So yeah, maybe he wasn't very good at revealing such thoughts and feelings, but she couldn't help but find it cute. "This whole time you act like this tough and elusive person, yet…" Her head tilted up so she could look up into his eyes. "You're just an adorable mob doctor softy inside, but…but I like that."

A pitchy breath of air left his chest, one of his arms reaching up to press against her back. "I'm none of those things," he began, "but I will admit I'm relieved to hear you feel the same way." He stopped then, pushing her back and taking her hands into his own over her chest. "But I didn't plan for it to happen like this," he added. "I wanted to build it up…_woo you_, I suppose would be the proper term to use."

She glanced down at the ground, a smile forcing its way to her lips. "I'm not some upper class lady…you don't need to try to court me."

He shook his head. "None of that matters to me." When she met his stare head on once more, he gently said, "I want to do this right…I want for us to get to know each other more, to share moments so that one day I can earn the right to kiss you like that."

Luffy's lips fell ajar, her stare widening at his words. He was the complete opposite of Crocodile. While that man practically_ took_ what he wanted, Law, on the other hand, was more tentative, shy perhaps—more caring even.

"But only if you want to give this—_us_—a shot," Law continued on, moving them aside when a group of men passed by. Some of them side-eyed them, clearly not impressed by the scene they were putting on, but neither Law nor Luffy seemed to care at that moment. "I'm leaving at the end of summer…" He paused, as if searching for the right words. "And even if we don't work out, at least we'll know and won't have any thoughts about what could have been."

Luffy nodded, but the once happy feeling deep inside started to melt. All of Law's reasoning seemed to make perfect sense to her, yet there was one major flaw: Crocodile. The young doctor had no idea of their…relationship, if it could be called as such, and she knew that if he ever found out what the two of them had been doing, he'd hate her for it.

She didn't want to hurt Law, lead him on and start something while still lying in the arms of Crocodile at night. But most importantly, what would her employer do if he ever found out about her and Law?

She saw what he easily did to one of his _**own**_ men, so what would become of Law in such a situation?

She pulled away from Law, sniffing once as she glanced away from his confused stare. "I…I don't think it can work out, not right now…" The words came out weak and strange, and she couldn't help but notice the look of hurt crossing his eyes. "I…I need to go back now—I'm sorry."

She pushed past him, clutching the bag of carry-out in her arms tightly. _This…this is for the best._ When he called out her name, she paused, fighting back the urge to turn around.

"If you're scared, I understand," he said then, hand reaching out and touching her shoulder. "We're…we're not in the most practical of situations right now, but I won't walk away without trying." He turned her slightly his way, the side of her eyes glancing towards his face. "It might be hard at first, but I believe_ something_ can come out of this."

Luffy's expression fell, her body tensing up. She wanted to believe that, she really did, but she knew the reality of what would happen. When she went to respond, he stopped her.

"Just wait and see," he promised her, hand taking hers tightly for a squeeze before pushing past her gently. "The next time we meet, it'll be with the intention of winning your heart. But until then…" He sent her a quick wave goodbye, heading down the street in the opposite direction of the inn.

_He doesn't realize what he's getting me into…_

In reality, while she was indeed a bit nervous of what would happen, she also couldn't help but feel excited as well. Luffy looked forward to their next meeting.

* * *

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Crocodile allowed her to sleep in as he went about his business. The excitement from her morning with Law and the rush of the night prior had left her exhausted by the time she returned back to his room, prompting her to beg him to let her stay behind to sleep a bit. While he was hesitant at first, he allowed as such.

"Just don't go snooping around this place," he ordered her as he fixed his scarf before a mirror. "I don't want you getting caught up with that lunatic of a woman Hancock or that distasteful bird." Pausing, he threw her a quick glance. "You're not smart enough to outwit those two, not yet, so it wouldn't be safe for you…" With a shrug, he stopped working his scarf and turned towards the door. "I should be back sometime this afternoon—and after such, we'll head back to the mansion."

After that, she was allowed to have a restful nap, comfortable beyond belief in that massive bed of soft covers and fluffy pillows. However, after a couple of hours, she found herself awake. No matter how many times she twisted and turned, she couldn't drift back off, with a pout forming upon her lips.

There were certain things—_people_—she couldn't get her mind off of, and after a while, she found that a familiar feeling deep down inside was building up between her legs. She tried to bury her face and fists into the pillow to fight off the pressure, but nothing seemed to help. Rolling over onto her back, she let out a dry exhale, eyes glancing over to the door.

_He won't be back until later_, she thought then, hand pressing to her upper abdomen. Her thighs pressed together and she found that _that_ only enhanced the pressure. She knew what was happening to her body—the same sensations were created whenever Crocodile would kiss or touch her, but yet, the man was not there.

And Luffy was left a tingling mess in his bed, alone.

Absentmindedly, her hand drifted lower, stopping when she met her hip. _I could always…_The thought made her turn red, embarrassed that she could even think of doing something like that. _However…_If Crocodile could draw out such amazing feelings when touching her down there, why couldn't she do the same to herself?

Biting down on her lower lip, she sent another nervous look towards the door, wondering exactly how much time she had and if it was worth the risk. Her hand drew up her slip, fingers running along her thigh before pausing just before the core. _He could walk in at any moment, catch me doing…doing __**this.**_ Hesitantly, she pushed one finger inward, eyes clamping shut at the strange feeling. And as she continued on, there seemed to be only one person on her mind.

When she managed to reach orgasm, all she could think about was Law.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

It was late when they returned back to the city, the streets empty with the exception of a few drunks and sneaky young couples. And as Daz pulled the car up the drive, the sight of one sleek car prompted Luffy to stare in confusion.

"I didn't know you had another car," she softly stated as she turned to glance Crocodile's way, instantly catching a look of anger pass through his eyes.

After clenching his jaw, he snapped his hard stare her way and firmly said, "I don't." When the car came to a stop, he didn't wait for Daz to open the door for him, slamming it open and heading straight up the pathway.

Luffy, confused, watched from inside the car as Tsuru met him halfway. Her words were soft, yet Luffy could still make out some of what she was saying.

"She insisted on staying, young master," Tsuru revealed when Crocodile pushed past her. "She claims she has urgent news…"

Getting out of the car, Luffy met Daz's blank stare, watching as he slowly offered her an awkward look before shaking his head and moving along. Blinking, she continued up the pathway, halting her pace when she caught Crocodile confronting a stranger at the door.

A woman with sleek black hair and a slender frame stood before him with a sour look. Her hands were folded together and rested upon her lower abdomen, and there was a calm look to her face.

"What are you doing here?" Crocodile asked, tone harsh. "I don't recall any planned visits."

"This isn't my doing," the woman calmly stated, offering Luffy one quick glance before looking back Crocodile's way. "My mother has grown tired of waiting and insists that we pick an earlier date—particularly within the next two months."

Crocodile brought his hand up to his face, fingers squeezing the bridge of his nose. A dry exhale escaped him. "I don't have time to deal with this now…"

"You don't want to anger my mother now, do you?" the woman asked then, cutting him off. She was confident in the way she spoke, eyes never leaving his. She had control. "I'm sure she can call this arrangement off at any time if it's too much of a bother to you."

Crocodile's expression hardened. He inhaled deeply before shaking his head. "Fine," he angrily agreed before pushing past her. "Where's the goddamn phone?" He called out loudly, tone frustrated and tired and furious. "I'll call her _myself!_"

The woman followed after him, a young maid of orange hair and a butler of green hair following after her.

Cocking a brow, Luffy turned towards Tsuru, searching her wrinkly face before softly asking, "Who is that woman?"

The old maid's eyes closed briefly as she simply answered, "The young master's fiancée, Lady Robin of the Nico family."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Robin's mother insists that Crocodile and her daughter marry sooner than later, and Luffy finds herself more than upset at such information.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the lack of updates in the past two weeks—I'm entering finals next week and it's been super intense, so I haven't had much time to write.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Since I forgot to respond to reviews last update, there are reviews from a handful of chapters—so I'll just stick to answering questions in my review responses this update. But thank you for reviewing (&amp; I should return to regular responses next update! :D )**

**To the anon who asked about Crocodile's past:** Yes, I will cover that. I have a big section dedicated just to his past (giant flashback, probably in his POV), and it actually should come around pretty soon. And yes, it will include the hand, hook, and how he became a mobster (and his messed up sense of, uh, relationships).


	20. XX

**To Serve at his Command| **XX

With a blank expression, Luffy poured Robin a cup of tea—something Tsuru _insisted_ that she do instead of just standing around. The new woman—Crocodile's _fiancé_—bided her thanks for doing as such and Luffy could only muster up a mute nod before slipping away to the back of the room beside the other servants, eyes glued upon the man arguing into the phone.

"I realize this, _Olvia_," Crocodile had started, tone harsh and expression grim, "but sending your daughter here to hound me isn't going to move things along…" A pause followed, with a heavy frown forming upon his lips. "No," he snarled into the phone, "that won't be necessary." He turned towards the window after another mute moment.

Luffy casted her gaze over to Robin for a brief second, taking in the slight smirk upon her face before looking aside to the orange haired servant. She had a worried look in her eyes, body tense, but besides that, she appeared nice, at least in Luffy's opinion. The male beside her—that butler—appeared harder pressed, blank of emotion.

_They must be that woman's servants…?_ _I wonder if they're friendly…the girl looks so, at least._

Inhaling softly, she glanced back towards Crocodile, watching as the man paced back and forth in front of the window. He looked as if he wanted to break the phone in two.

"I never stated such things nor did I ever have the intentions to back out of this arrangement," he said firmly, halting his movements as his gaze narrowed to the floor. "That has nothing to do with anything—I am not in the position at the moment to waste time on a wedding…" His eyes snapped over to Robin, brows lowering as he caught her smirk. "So, you're dumping her off here to live with me,_**before**_ the wedding?"

Robin turned slightly in her seat, lifting her cup up. "Can you please top it off for me?" she requested of Luffy, offering her a sweet but thin smile.

Luffy did as such before returning back to her corner of the office.

A dull huff escaped Crocodile as he went to sit in his chair, slumping back before pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder. With his hand now free, he went to rub the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he agreed after a few more minutes of bickering. "If this is the only way that you will be reassured of my intentions to marry your daughter and seal this alliance, then so be it." A pause followed before he added, "I'll move the wedding to the earliest date possible."

He hung the phone up and his eyes snapped instantly to Robin's, expression morphing back into an annoyed state.

Placing her cup down upon the table beside her, Robin happily observed, "You two seemed to have a lovely chat." It looked like she was trying back the urge to smile.

Crocodile shook his head _no_ as he reached out for his cigar box. "I don't appreciate surprises," he began as he pressed a cigar to his lips before lighting it. "Your mother is hell-bent on us marrying, so she sends you here to pester me."

"Pester?" Robin questioned softly as she tilted her head. "More like…_encourage_." She smiled then, reaching out for her cup of tea. "My mother finds it odd that you have yet to pick a date, so…"

"So she's taken it upon herself to move things along," Crocodile finished for her, exhaling a puff of smoke before closing his eyes. "You are to live here now; _she_ claims it will be bonding time for us prior to the wedding." He laughed at that as his eyes snapped open, expression growing hard.

Robin shrugged after taking a sip of her drink. "She's a persistent woman and doesn't fair well to false promises." After a moment, she placed her cup down and gestured off to her servants. "Did you meet these two the last time you visited my mother's estate?"

Crocodile's gaze flickered over to them before he slowly glanced back to the woman. "No, but from what your mother says, they are to stay here as well." He glanced over to Luffy, locking eyes with her. "Show them to the servants' quarters and set them up—the girl will share your room."

And with that, he gave Luffy a dismissing wave before returning his attention to Robin. She glared at him—_hard_—for a moment before frowning, nodding, and turning towards the other two servants. "If…if you would follow me," she whispered as she turned to lead them out of the office.

As she closed the office door, she could hear Robin mention something along the lines of, "It seems you've gotten some new _things_ since last we met." While Luffy personally found nothing wrong with the woman, she still felt sick in the stomach, angry even. _She's his fiancée?_ The words burned deep in her mind, prompting her frown to grow even heavier.

_He was engaged this whole time…_

Her body began to tense up, hands balling up into fists at her sides. _Yet he…__**we**__ did all those things…how could he?_Luffy turned her attention towards the door, brows lowering and lips falling ajar. _How…?_ There was a pain deep insider her chest, mixed in with anger, or perhaps something else. _How could he…?_

_How could I be so stupid to think…?_

When she caught Robin's servants looking her way, she fought back the thoughts and forced a smile on. "I'm sorry, but I've yet to introduce myself—I'm Luffy." She gave a slight bow to them—a curtsy favor Tsuru had taught her many weeks ago.

The orange-haired girl smiled softly. "Nami," she responded with wide eyes. Her voice was chipper but calm at the same time, a sweet hymn. She turned and pointed to the male. "He's Zoro."

The butler offered Luffy a slight nod before glancing towards a painting on the wall. It was of an older looking gentleman, with a hard expression on his face. "This mansion is big…"

"Much bigger than Lady Olvia's," Nami agreed as she too looked to the painting. She returned her gaze back to Luffy and smiled once more. "It looks like we'll all be living together from now on."

Luffy nodded once as she went for the staircase. "I should show you to the servants' quarters then," she determined as she began to make her descent.

Nami followed quickly after, but paused when midway down the stairs. "Over here, Zoro," she dully called out, prompting Luffy to glance back and watch as the butler continued down the hallway. "You're going the wrong way."

Blinking, Zoro glanced about quickly, nodded, and turned to head towards the stairs. "I thought the stairs were down the hall," he explained when he met up with them, seemingly ignoring Luffy's confused state.

_How could he miss the stairs when they were right in front of him?_

With a shrug, Luffy continued on, making sure to glance back every so often to make sure _both_ were following her. There were a few times when the butler wandered off, but a snappy order from Nami lead him right back to them.

When they neared the lower staircase, the questions began.

"Is he always that mean-spirited?" Nami asked as she neared Luffy's side, wide eyes searching hers. "Robin's mother—Lady Olvia—made mention of his poor attitude, but I never thought it would be _that_ bad."

"He's annoying," Zoro added then calmly. "Just like that shitty cook."

Luffy glanced back at him, cocking a brow. "Cook?" _Does he mean Sanji?_

The butler shrugged. "I don't remember his name, only how stupid he looked—a drooling mess when we met him the first day we arrived at this mansion." He smirked then. "Almost got into a fight…I could have taken him on."

Nami shook her head as she tugged on Luffy's shoulder, causing her to look her way. "Ignore him—he's more macho than brains. But back to my question…?"

Luffy nodded then, breathing softly as she paused to scratch her chin. "Master Crocodile is…_moody_." That was the best to describe him, she figured, and while she had a few _stronger_ choice of words to use in regards to him at that moment, she kept quiet about her internal affairs. "My only advice is to keep to his good side."

Nami nodded silently to that before glancing down the hall. "It's much more depressing down here than it was on the upper levels—he doesn't like decorating the servants' halls?"

Cocking a brow, Luffy shook her head. "No, does the lady of your estate do as such?"

Nami smiled. "Yes, she is rather kind to us, but I'm afraid the easy life is going to end soon." A frown took to her as she picked at the wall, peeling back a scrap of white paint. "Boring," she whispered.

Luffy wanted to apologize for such, but instead felt that the setting was nice enough. _Or maybe that's because I'm comparing this to Buggy's shack…_ She wondered then how nice their mansion must have been if this was considered _boring_.

"The rooms are just down this way," she decided to say as she began walking down the hallway. Glancing towards Zoro, she added, "There are two rooms for the male servants all the way at the end of the hall—you can choose whichever one you want. I believe both have an extra bed inside."

Zoro glanced down at her and simply asked, "Which one does that shitty cook sleep in?"

"The one to the right," she answered.

"Then I'll take the left to the one," he stated as he turned around. "I'll get our luggage from the car then," he added before disappearing.

"He's going to get lost, I just know it," Nami muttered weakly as she watched him walk away. Shrugging, she glanced back to Luffy. "And our room?"

"Just down this way."

* * *

After showing Nami their room—cramped when Sanji _happily _helped move another cot in—she allowed the cook to show the new maid around. He didn't seem to mind—in fact, he was more than willing to do so.

Besides, she needed a little alone time to figure out her emotions and feelings towards the new situation. Lying on her own bed, she brought her hand up to rest on the pillow beside her head. Her other hand laid under her chest, breathing slow as she was left to her thoughts.

_Obviously, he's been engaged since before my arrival, but he never once mentioned anything._ A frown began to form. _Why would he do all those things with me if he was going to get married? That…that's wrong, isn't it?_ She rolled over to her side, bringing her knees in as a pout took over.

_Am I in the wrong then, if that woman was engaged to him? She…she has no idea what we've been doing…_

She buried her face into her pillow, guilt picking at her anger. _Is it wrong of me to feel upset?_ _To feel…hurt?_ It puzzled her as to why she was feeling such emotions—anger, guilt, pain…_a broken heart? No…not that…_ Of course, Luffy never considered Crocodile more than…_more than what?_

She wasn't sure what she considered Crocodile, but she knew that this engagement _did_ have a toll on her. Sniffing, she pushed herself up to run her fingers through her hair. The anger was building up deep down inside again, taking over once more.

_That jerk! Having me do all those…those indecent things with him while he's promised to another woman. _She was alright with going there with him when it was just them two—nobody seemed to get hurt that way. _But now there's another…_Her brows lowered, remembering words he told her before.

_He said I could never look to another man, so why is he…?_

_It's wrong…_

_All of this is wrong…_

She got off her bed and went to her desk, pulling out a sheet of paper, an envelope, and a fountain pen. In her frustrated state, she wrote:

_Ace,_

_I've found out information that might help you._

_Crocodile is working with a woman named Boa Hancock—a brothel Madame from a nearby city. They are going to team up with a person known as "K" to take down Doflamingo, Teach, and Whitebeard. Doflamingo is under the impression that he, Crocodile, and Hancock are in an alliance._

_He has this route from Australia, and he's bringing in this strange drug to a warehouse…I'll write down the location at the end of this letter._

_From what I've seen, he has about ten men working for him, four who've visited the mansion, and another handful located at the warehouse. There could be more, but I haven't seen any._

_He's engaged to a woman named Robin, family name Nico—the woman's mother seems important…_

_This is everything I could dig up so far. I will write again in the future if I find anything else out._

_I hope you're doing alright. I miss you, home, grandfather, and how simple everything was._

_-Luffy_

She folded the letter up and shoved it into the envelope. Glaring at it, she felt her stomach drop. She originally had struggles trying to figure out how much she should reveal to Ace, but with this newfound fury inside her, it all came out easily.

Luffy wanted to hurt Crocodile in the way he hurt her.

_But…but is this the right way?_

Sighing, she placed the letter in a hidden nook of the desk, so that her new roommate couldn't find it easily. _I'll keep it here for now…_

* * *

An hour later and Crocodile called her up to his room. While hesitant in going, Luffy knew it would be best to do her part as a maid, but keep it at that.

Upon entering, he was sitting at the edge of his bed, pressing a dying cigar into an ash tray already filled with other used cigars. There was a heavy scent of the stuff in the air and Luffy had to try her best not to cough.

She stood silently in front of his door, hands folded together over her lower abdomen. When he looked her way, she glanced towards the window. It was raining outside.

"Come here," he ordered, tone calmer than it was an hour ago when he was on the phone. As she took to his side, he said, "It's been a _long_ day." His hand took her wrist, pulling her down onto his lap, and no matter how hard she tried to pull away, he overpowered her. "Good thing I have you here," he added softly as he pushed her down upon the bed, oblivious to her frustration expression.

His hand had her pinned down by the waist, his mouth coming together with hers. She knew what he wanted then, what he was trying to lead them into, but the disgust in her gut prompted her to push her hands up against his shoulders.

Crocodile pulled away from her, dull eyes searching her face. "What is it?" he asked as his hand slid up her bust.

She swatted his hand away before sitting back up, pulling her skirts down. "No," she said—weakly so—then, eyes snapping up to meet his curious stare. "I'm not doing…_that_."

He cocked a brow, clearly interested in what she was spurting out. "Do what?" he questioned then, hand resting on his knee. The tired look in his eyes hinted at his frustration. "Something is _obviously _bothering you, so you might as well come out with it—I'm not in the mood tonight to play one of your games."

Huffing, she pushed away from him once more, giving some distance between them. "You're _getting_ married," she angrily reminded him. "And you want to do…" Her gaze quickly left his, falling down to his hand. "_No_," she repeated, firmer this time.

A dry exhale escaped him as he fell back against the bed post, a low laugh following suit. His hand took to rubbing his face as he inhaled deeply, fingers running back through his hair. With eyes widening, he asked, "Are you serious?" When she answered with a firm nod, he glanced away, obviously fighting back the urge to lash out. "I can't believe it," he stated, more to himself than to her, "throwing a tantrum, like a _child_."

Crossing her arms, Luffy huffed out in response, annoyed at his reaction.

His hand took to her chin, forcing her to look his way. "Listen here, _little thief_," he began, voice harsh, "my engagement to that woman has absolutely _nothing_ to do with you."

When she went to respond, he stopped her by digging his fingers deeper into her flesh.

"You are _my _maid," he continued on, "and she is to be _my _wife. If you even think you are comparable to that position, you are _sorely_ mistaken." Pausing, he tilted his head and smiled lightly. "My affairs with that woman are to be my own and you have no right to come in here with that childish attitude—all you must worry about is cleaning my mansion, tending to my guests, and when I so command it, lying flat on your back for me to fuck you."

He pushed her off the bed, her arms shooting out to stop her face from meeting the floor. "The weak like you have no say in the world—you do what is ordered of you, and you do so with a smile on your face. Anything less, and people will begin to tire of you."

Luffy shot a hard look up at him, running the back of her hand across the corner of her mouth, where his finger hard scratched her.

He got off from the bed, reaching out for his dying cigar and taking an inhale as he approached his desk. "Don't forget your place," he reminded her before gesturing towards the door. "Now get out—I'm not in the mood anymore."

Silently, she got up and left with wide eyes and a pounding heart.

* * *

She slipped away into the night when all were asleep, letter in hand, to pay a quick midnight visit to her delivery clown.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Luffy gets to learn a little bit about Nami and Robin, and Robin's feelings towards the engagement. What Robin has to say makes Luffy question her thoughts and opinions on Crocodile.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! And sorry the chapter is rather short compared to recent chapters—I wanted to end it there before moving onto the next chapter because it takes place about a week or so later after this one.**

**Stardustadventurer: **Yeah, I wanted to have the LawLu paring the complete opposite to that of Crocodile and Luffy's. Who Luffy will end up with is a big factor to the end of this story, so stay tuned~~ Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D

**UnicornsThatGamble:** Hahaha, I love your enthusiasm! Thanks for reading/reviewing! : )

**Starlight555:** Ohmgoodness, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And thank you so much! Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Guest:** Law is an adorable doctor. Sometimes I feel like I make him too much of a mush baby, but then in the end, I'm like, I love me some mushy Law. Mmmmm, let's just say that when the ending rolls around, some fighting is going to go down—but more than just between two certain male characters. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**LittleChomper:** Haha, I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I wanted to put in another potential love interest for Luffy and thought Law was PERFECT because, well, he is (u/3/u). Maybe he will win, maybe he won't? Maybe none of them will win, or perhaps both of them will win? Who knows? ;) As of right now, no, crocodile does *not* love her, but at the same time, Law doesn't love Luffy either *at this moment, that is to say* He's basically saying he wants to give them a shot, to see if anything can come from them being together, etc. etc. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Kiki's Cat:** Aw, thanks! And yes, our moss head Zoro has finally arrived. I know his part was small/introductory in this chapter, but he'll get more scene time soon enough, especially since he's living in the mansion now. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Guest #2:** I hope "O.O" is a good thing, haha. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Is a flying cookie:** Mmm, yes, perhaps there will be some agonizing deaths towards the end. And yeah, Luffy is OOC trash throughout, but I wrote my reasons as to why this is so in the first chapter. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Milkachocolate:** Oh my gosh, your review my inner writer blush up a storm. I'm so so so so so sO SO happy you think all those things! I just want to scoop you up and hug you~ Ah, just, thank you for all the kind words! You're making me blush. (U/u/U) As for the questions, yes, Garp will show up. And yes, I will finish this story—I'm too devoted to it now: First, Crocodile is my favorite character, so that's motivation right there, and second, I love historical A!Us, and third, I feel super confident about my writing with this particular story. Thank you so much for reading this story and giving me your feedback—it's a total motivation booster! :D


	21. Fiancee

***Chapter takes place about a week after the last**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Fiancée

Luffy stood before the mirror as she buttoned up her uniform, eyes occasionally flickering to Nami's reflection. The new maid watched her, happily so, from the corner of her cot as she did her shoes, offering her warm smiles when they made eye contact.

In the past week, they quickly formed a friendship—surprisingly deeper than Luffy did with any of the other servants. It may have been because Nami was close to her age and the only other female besides Tsuru around, or it may have been because the girl was also a maid; Luffy wasn't sure what it was, but she always found herself at ease around her.

"Would you like to help dress Lady Robin this morning?" Nami questioned then as she got up from the cot, flattening down her own uniform skirts—much longer than Luffy's, draping _well_ below the knees. "She seems interested in you and feels bad she hasn't had the chance to really talk with you."

Luffy glanced back, cocking a brow. It was true that they—Luffy and Crocodile's fiancée—had barely spoken since their arrival to the mansion, but Luffy never found the courage to start up conversation with the woman. Everything about Robin was intimidating, from her position in the mansion to the utter confidence she held when conversing with Crocodile, something Luffy wished she had more of herself. And, most importantly, there was the guilt Luffy had deep down inside about what she had been doing with Crocodile—the woman's husband to be.

_If she ever found out…_

Even though she realized that she had no idea who Robin was prior to their arrival and thus shouldn't feel as bad, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in the wrong for everything she did in the past couple of months. If anything, all Luffy wanted to do whenever in the woman's presence was disappear, _especially_ if Crocodile were nearby.

_He_, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered at all. Yes, since that night a week ago when Luffy declined his advances, he _did_ back off; however, he never bothered to bring the subject back up, to discuss what would happen and what Luffy's place would be now with Robin involved.

So, all Luffy could do is _assume_ that their _personal_ interactions would stop from then on out, no more slipping into his room at night or tending to intimate needs. While the thought hurt, she figured that he wouldn't need her in that way when he now had his fiancé? Perhaps, this entire time, she was merely just a fill-in while Robin was away? And while she was still angry at him for doing all of this to her, she couldn't help but feel sad whenever she saw them two interacting.

_Why need me in that way when he has somebody as beautiful, confident, and rich as Robin?_

Nami's voice rang through her thoughts. "Luffy? Did you hear me?"

Blinking, Luffy nodded quickly. "If you think she won't mind me helping…" she finally answered, hands clamping tightly together over her chest.

Nami broke out in a giddy smile. "Of course she wouldn't," she answered, taking Luffy's wrist and pulling her towards the door. "Lady Robin is one of the nicest women you'll ever meet—you'll become fast friends with her, just like how we did." The new maid offering her a soft glance and Luffy could only silently nod in response.

* * *

Luffy took to brushing Robin's hair, delicately running her fingers through the soft strands before pressing a brush to them. Nami went to work on the woman's dress—a simple gown made of soft cotton and meant to be worn for easy activities, such as walking around the gardens, something Robin seemed to enjoy doing since moving in.

"Luffy, was it?" Robin questioned softly, glancing upwards at the young maid. When Luffy nodded, she smiled before glancing away. "A very interesting name—was it given to you by your mother or father?"

She swallowed, not knowing the answer. "I'm not sure, my lady."

Bringing her hand up to her mouth, Robin laughed softly then, prompting Luffy to halt her brushing. "No need to speak so formally around me, dear. Please, call me Robin—I'd much rather hear that than any of those silly formalities."

Luffy found herself glancing over to Nami, who was smiling softly in return. "Yes…_Robin_," she answered after a moment, returning her pattern of brushing the hair. It felt odd to say her name so casually, but at the same time, she could see the attraction to her personality. The woman seemed friendly, just as how Nami described, and Luffy found herself not dreading the interaction _entirely_.

"Nami says you two have become fast friends," Robin began, reaching out for a clip on a nearby vanity. She handed it up to Luffy. "Please, add this once you're done brushing—it was my grandmothers and today I feel like honoring her."

Taking the clip, Luffy nodded before scooping locks of her hair together to form a simple—yet graceful—style.

"As I was saying," Robin continued, "Nami has said a lot of positive things about you…I find it's nice to have friends in such an unwelcoming setting such as this mansion."

Luffy arched a brow as she went to clip Robin's hair. "Unwelcoming…?"

Smirking softly, the woman shrugged. "I've not the faintest idea of how long you've worked here, but you _must_ sense the tone of…let's say, _despair_ that seems to radiate from this mansion, no? I mean, I've only been here a week and I can already tell I'm not wanted here."

_Not wanted…?_ Frowning slightly, Luffy weakly said, "I'm not sure I follow…are you implying that you're not satisfied with your stay?" She felt her heartbeat pick up, worried that she had done something wrong to offend the woman. "Is there something I've done wrong?"

Robin turned in her seat, eyes searching her face. "No," she quickly answered. "No, of course not—not _you_." She paused to send Luffy a reassuring smile. "Such a sweet girl like you has done nothing wrong, and please, do not think I am angry with you."

Nami arose from fixing Robin's shoes, quickly glancing towards Luffy. "What she is trying to say is that she is unwelcomed by her fiancé." She shrugged then. "We thought that perhaps you would know that feeling, since you've been around him more."

Robin nodded, offering Nami one quick look. "That's it," she agreed before glancing back up to the Luffy. "Surely he mustn't act coldly towards me and me alone—or perhaps that is the case?" She frowned then. "He doesn't seem like an affectionate man."

"Clearly not the ideal man to spend your life with either," Nami added, prompting Robin to nod in agreement.

It was then that they both looked to Luffy to add something to the conversation. Folding her hands together nervously, she inhaled deeply before blurting out what she thought would be best. "He does get easily annoyed."

Robin's expression softened as Nami smirked. "Isn't there anything juicier you have to share, Luffy?" the maid questioned as she pressed her hands to her hips. "Robin has a right to know all about the man she's going to marry."

"Don't pressure her," Robin sternly ordered as she looked to Nami. "She doesn't need to share anything she doesn't want to—just the subject of talking about her employer may put in an uncomfortable position." The woman looked to Luffy and offered her a soft smile. "Don't let this one get you into trouble."

Tilting her head, Luffy found herself taken aback. _They seem…negative towards Crocodile, but that doesn't make sense. If she doesn't take well to him, then why marry him?_ Frowning slightly, she weakly asked, "If you don't mind me asking, but why marry Crocodile if you find him…_unwelcoming_, as you put it."

Robin's face morphed from a look of curiosity to one of amusement. "Oh, my dear girl," she answered after a soft laugh. "You think this arrangement was made out of love for one another?"

Nami snorted out a laugh then, causing Luffy to tense up.

Shaking her head, Robin reached out for Luffy's hand, soft fingers resting on the back of her hand gently. "The rich rarely marry for love," she explained. "I'm to be his wife simply because he and my mother made an arrangement for such." Pausing, she retracted her hand and glanced towards the floor. "To be honest, due to my age, my mother fears I will never find a suitable spouse; therefore, because of a prior arrangement they had, she set this little engagement up." She glanced back up to Luffy and weakly smiled. "I have _no_ say in the matter."

Nami took a step towards Luffy and added, "And that's why we were asking such questions, just to get a better feel for what type of marriage she'll be entering into."

Standing up, Robin moved towards a window, pulling back a curtain to look outside. "If it were up to me, I would _never_ marry that man." She cocked a glance back at Luffy, expression hard. "He's the kind that nobody could ever love."

* * *

"You came in late."

Luffy glanced up to meet Crocodile's hard stare, fingers hovering over the last few buttons of his shirt. It was the first he spoke to her since arriving in his room that morning. "I was aiding Lady Robin dress," she answered softly before glancing back down to his shirt to finish her task at hand.

"She requested you?" he asked then, tone full of doubt as well as curiosity.

She kept her gaze forward. "Yes."

He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "And you figured you would aid her first before me, your employer?" His tone had grown stern and she could feel his gaze hard on her.

Once finished with the last button of his shirt, she pulled away to glance down at his bed where his vest lay. She took it gently and dared to look back up to him without giving an answer.

Tilting his head ever so slightly, he said, "That woman is not your master nor does she have any control over you—she has her own maid, even a butler. You will always choose me over her, do you understand this?"

Expression blank, Luffy gave a stiff nod.

His brows relaxed as his hand reached out for her cheek, causing her to pull away from the caress. His fingers fell to her necklace then, thumb running along the pendant. "Still angry?" he murmured then, almost gently so. When he took a step towards her, Luffy found her back to a bedpost, leaving her no room to move away. His figure loomed over—_against_—hers, fingers trailing the rim of the necklace fabric.

Her eyes—now wide—searched his, fear beginning to pump her blood a bit faster. She wondered then what was going through his mind, what he was thinking and what he was planning on doing. This was the closest he got since that night she rejected him.

When his hand took to cupping her cheek, she pressed her own atop his, fingers wrapping around the edge of his index finger. "How long are you going to avoid my touch," he questioned softly, thumb pressing down on her finger.

Casting her gaze aside, she wondered the same thing. Earlier that morning, she figured he wanted nothing to do with her now that he had Robin, but after her conversation with said woman, things seemed more complicated than that. There was no love there between those two, yet, she still felt this to be wrong and unfair towards Robin.

_She's being forced into a marriage…Who am I to make it worse for her?_

But, at the same time, Luffy felt nice when he touched her like that, intimate and close and maybe even a bit affectionate. It wasn't love, not even close, but there were parts of Crocodile that she very much liked, as well as parts she dreaded.

The way he acted a week ago was pure and utter horror.

The way he held her now made her heart flutter.

"How long?" he asked once more, forehead pressing to hers.

When she went to answer, there was a light tap on the door, causing the words to hang dead in her throat. The door began to open and Crocodile was quick to pull away from Luffy, making sure to distance himself from her.

Robin peered in, eyes glancing from the maid first and then to Crocodile. Blinking, she cocked a brow before looking to the vest, expression relaxing. "I'm sorry—did I walk in while you were still getting dressed?"

Crocodile's hard stare fell to the vest and he gave a single nod, prompting Luffy to quickly move over to finishing dressing him. "What do you want?" he asked then, eyes finding their way back to Robin.

Entering the room fully, she watched them, offering Luffy a warm smile when she glanced over to her. "I received a phone call from my mother last night—she was hoping that you and I would choose a destination for the wedding soon, preferably within the next few days."

When Luffy went to button up his vest, he pushed her aside to approach his bedroom desk. "I don't have time to waste on reservations—can't you do that?"

Robin shrugged after offering Luffy a worried look, clearly concerned when he shoved her aside. "I assumed you would want a part in your own wedding planning, no?" When he answered with a dull huff, she went on to add, "I suppose I can pick out a destination, but what am I to do if you don't like it?"

With an annoyed look, he rolled his eyes and finally gave in. "Fine, I'll have Daz take us around town until we find a church _nice _enough to please the both of us, as well as your mother, as I'm sure she is in a hurry to move things along."

Robin offered him a small smile and he only sent her a grim expression.

"We'll leave within the hour," he informed the woman before turning his attention to Luffy, lips forming a heavy frown. "And you," he snapped, "stop standing around and go do your chores."

Tensing up, Luffy quickly scooted by Robin, closing the door behind her to leave the two alone.

* * *

She sat in the shack beside Usopp, watching as the blonde cook paced back and forth frantically. To Usopp's right sat a curious Coby, and in the far corner sat Hawkins, face blank of any emotion.

"Men," Sanji began before quickly approaching Luffy and taking her hand, "_and m'lady_," he added before kissing it. Pulling away from her, he returned back to the center of the shack, eyes glued out through the window. "If you've yet to notice by now, we've been invaded this week."

"Invaded?" Usopp repeating, eyes quickly glancing over to Luffy, as if searching for an answer. "What do you mean?"

"He means the master's fiancé and her two servants," Hawkins dully answered before getting up. "I don't appreciate being called all the way out here for games."

Sanji quickly gestured for him to sit back down. "Now, wait just a moment," he quickly objected, "you don't seem to understand the full situation at hand. Yes, two beautiful creatures from Heaven have graced us all with their appearance, but I was not speaking of them earlier." Pausing, he inhaled deeply before gravely stating, "We've been invaded by a giant living blob of moss."

"A blob of moss?" Coby said then, clearly being bought in by Sanji's grave words. The boy glanced about quickly before nervously asking, "_W-where?_"

"Everywhere," Sanji answered with a widened stare. "_It_ seems to get easily lost, what with its dumb face and dumb voice and dumb everything!"

"You're talking about Zoro?" Luffy asked, crossing her legs as she finally put together at what he was getting at. "You're overreacting—he's a nice guy."

Usopp quickly looked to her before scooting away about a foot. "Luffy's already been infected!" he practically screamed, causing Coby to jump up in a panic.

"_OH NO!_" the boy cried out, hands cupping his cheeks as he looked to her with horror. "_WE NEED TO SAVE HER!_"

Crossing her arms, she narrowed her stare and snapped back. "_I'm not infected!_" While she thought their facial reactions were amusing, their—or, at least, _Sanji's_— reaction towards Zoro wasn't necessary.

_He's a nice guy, that one, _she thought, curious as to why he and Sanji didn't seem to get along.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Hawkins squeezing the bridge of his nose while shaking his head slightly, clearly not impressed by Sanji's roundup either. "I do not see how this involves me," he commented, prompting the cook to turn his attention to him. "But I am not surprised—the cards said you would find competition soon."

"I knew it," Sanji muttered, more to himself than to any other. Glancing out towards the window, he balled up his fist. "A new male trying to lay claim on my women," he whispered coolly, as if a warrior about to charge out into battle.

The gardener snapped his worried expression away from Luffy's. "What did he just say?" Usopp asked weakly, brow arched up high.

"Something ridiculous," Hawkins dully answered before arising once more. "Keep me out of your silly games," he ordered the fellow blonde firmly before leaving the shack.

Coby was the next to get up. "I think you're losing it, Sanji," he murmured softly before heading for the door. "I thought you were talking about a real monster, not that butler."

Usopp shrugged before returning his attention to Luffy. "You should warn the butler that Sanji might try something soon."

"Luffy would never betray me like that," the cook declared as he wedged himself between the two, arms shooting out to wrap around both of their shoulders. "It's just us three, alright, and we're going to enter a war soon."

"Oh, I'm not getting involved in this," Usopp responded firmly. "You get crazy when you think with your _dic_—uh," he looked to Luffy quickly, a slight blush breaking out. "I mean, your, uh, feelings? Lusting heart?" The gardener shrugged then, clearly out of ideas.

Frowning, Sanji pulled his arm away from Usopp and pushed him aside to have more room to talk to Luffy. "You're the only one I can trust," he sang sweetly, taking her hand in his own. "Will you cheer me on when I take down that foul moss-head?"

"You're making mountains out of molehills," Usopp snapped, returning the shove to the cook. "You just want to get at those two new girls, don't you?"

With nostrils flaring, Sanji wiggled in his seat as he gushed, "_No, __**how**__ could you think I would do something so low?_" Pausing, his brow arched up as he leaned in towards Luffy's ear to whisper something. "If you ever get the chance to help the new Lady of the mansion bathe, you can tell me all the details, yeah?"

Usopp's long nose broke in between them, cheeks redder now from obviously hearing what Sanji had to say. "I second this," he added in a pitchy voice, almost embarrassed for even going along with the cook's request.

Pressing her fingers to her lips, Luffy tilted her head and pouted a bit. "You mean you want tips on how to bathe others?"

Sanji nodded, happily so. "But more specifically about Lady Robin, if you wouldn't mind."

She couldn't figure out the fun in that. _Why would he want to know how Robin bathes?_ Shrugging, she determined she'd never understand his way of thinking, but nodded nevertheless. _Maybe he wants to become a butler one day and wants to know how to properly bathe others?_ That seemed to make the most sense to her. _It also explains why he would consider Zoro competition, as Hawkins and Usopp put it. I didn't realize Sanji wanted to move on from his position as cook—he must have a big heart to want to help out Robin so much._

His hand touched her shoulder, expression growing firm. "And if you ever feel under the weather or ill, you can count on me to do your duties as the maid—I'll be willing to step in and dress, bathe, and tend to Lady Robin's needs."

Usopp quickly nodded, eyes growing wide. "And I can help!"

Smiling because she found their offers kind, Luffy made sure to remind them that there were other responsibilities than just tending to the Lady. "Don't forget, you'd have to deal with tending to the master for most of the day."

Their gleeful expression melted within a second, dread taking in.

"I forgot about him," Sanji whispered.

"Waking him up and dressing him?" Usopp whimpered. "That's the same as walking straight into Hell."

Blinking, she watched as they slumped off to a corner, holding onto each other as they continued to mutter horrible things about Crocodile. _Did I say something bad?_

* * *

Crocodile returned late afternoon and about an hour later, summoned Luffy to his room. It was too early of his typical retirement hour but too late for supper, prompting her to worry as she walked down the upper hallway. _Is he going to continue our talk from earlier?_

She still didn't have a proper answer to his questions, and Robin's sudden appearance only made everything much worse for her. _She thinks I was just simply dressing him, but if had opened the door a second earlier, she would have found out about everything…_

_Maybe if she knew, she wouldn't have to marry him?_

The thought intrigued her, prompting her to pause in front of his door as she thought it over some more. From what it seemed earlier, Robin wasn't happy with the arrangement her mother created and made it out as if she would much rather do something else with her life than bind it to Crocodile's. _If her mother found out about what Crocodile has been doing with me, then why would she continue to force Robin to marry him?_

Shrugging, she decided to think about it more later, when she was properly along with her thoughts. Bringing her hand up, she gently knocked on the door before entering, eyes glancing around until they found him sitting at the edge of his bed. He had a strange object between his knees, a towel in his hand as he rubbed the item.

Closing the door, she arched a brow and stared at the object, trying to figure out what it was. When he moved the towel slightly over, light reflected off of it and hit her eyes.

It was a hook.

Polishing the weapon, he glanced up at her, face utterly relaxed. "Come here," he ordered her before glancing back down to his hook. When she stood before him, he stopped, tossing the towel beside him and lifting the hook up from between his knees. "Take it," he said then, tone blank of any emotion.

She sent him a confused stare and when he pressed it to her hand, she frowned, fingers wrapping around the heavy metal object. It was a bit cold and the point felt sharp. Her eyes left it to find his, brow arching as she waited for an explanation.

Leaning back slightly, he calmly said, "I've killed four men with that particular hook."

It suddenly felt a lot heavier at that moment, her eyes widening as she glanced down at it. She wanted to drop it and was going to do as such until he took it back.

He pressed the smooth arch against her stomach, twisting it to work the tip behind the lower button of her uniform. Pulling her forward just a tad bit, he asked, "How does it feel, now knowing what I've done with this hook?"

Her breathing increased as she stared down hard at the object wiggling behind the button. Her heart pounded hard, mind racing as she tried to figure out his goal. Flicking her gaze up to meet his, she whimpered softly when he barely pressed the tip in towards her lower abdomen.

"You've always known what I've been capable of, haven't you?" he questioned then, voice soft. "Deep down inside, you knew that I've ended the lives of others." The hook tugged her forward some more before he pulled it out from behind the button.

Luffy took the opportunity to pull back, but stopped when he wrapped his hand—and the hook—around her waist and towards her back, pulling her down on the bed beneath him. Crocodile slid the hook up towards the side of her face. "And you realize that I won't hesitate to kill again, yes?"

Her mouth became dry, eyes glued on the sharp point of the weapon as it drew near her face.

"Answer me; you've always knew this, right?" His tone had grown stern, eyes hard as he searched her frantic face.

Luffy nodded, too afraid to verbally answer.

A small smirk came to life under his scar as he pulled the hook away from her face. "Then please tell me how you could so easily come to me knowing that and then find it difficult to do as such when finding out about my fiancée?" He tossed the hook across the bed to free his hand and bring it to her chin. "I can't understand your thought process, little thief."

While the situation was still rather intense, Luffy let out a sigh of relief due to the hook being tossed aside, heartbeat fast, but slowing down. Lowering her brows, she glanced towards the door. "She might walk in again," she answered, tone cold.

Crocodile frowned at that, hand pressing on her chin so that she would look back up to him. "Is it jealousy?" he asked, sliding his hand down to rest along her neck. "Are you upset because you consider her competition now for my attention?" A smile seemed to have formed then, as if pleased with that explanation.

Luffy, on the other hand, found it ridiculous. "No," she huffed out, trying her best to cross her arms beneath him. "That has_ nothing_ to do with this." It upset her that he failed to see the main point here. _Why can't he figure it out that it's wrong for us to do this now with Robin involved?_

"_Then_ what is it?" He pressed his forehead against hers lightly before suppressing a groan in his throat, rolling off of her and onto his back beside her. "I'm losing patience with you," he said, hand reaching up to rub the side of his face.

Luffy pressed her hand to the side of her body, fingers touching the disfigured stump on his arm. _Nobody could ever love a man like that…_Robin's words rang through in her head. _She says that now, but after they're married…they could always __**learn**__ to love each other—but they can't if I'm in the way._ "When you've married her, what will happen to…to _us_?" she finally asked, tone soft.

"Nothing will happen," he answered as he bent his arm inward, causing her fingers to fall from his stump. "We'll remain the same, doing what we've _been_ doing."

Luffy fought back a frown and sat up to look down at him. "It isn't right, though," she objected.

He smirked, a small laugh escaping him. "A lot of things aren't right about this arrangement, but _please_ feel free to express which part of it is bothering you."

Huffing, she got out of the bed, arms crossing over her chest once more. "You might be alright with people getting hurt, but _I'm_ not!"

Crocodile rolled over to his side to fully look her way. "I forget how naïve you are sometimes," he answered calmly. "Childish and blind to the world—thinking like that will be the death of you, I can promise you that." Sighing when Luffy made no means to respond, he rolled back over and dully said, "You can go now if you don't have any intentions of staying with me tonight. I'm completely done with today."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Another week passes by and Robin takes Luffy with her to do some wedding planning. While doing as such is upsetting for Luffy, she soon finds herself developing a friendship with the older woman. Crocodile *tries* to win Luffy back into his arms.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey! So we're reaching 15o reviews on this story soon and I wanted to do another quick side story as a thank you, if you guys would like that. I created a poll with five options on my profile, so please go check it out and vote on the one you'd like to read. If you're anon/guest, you can't vote on the poll, but if you want to vote, fill free to say which one you'd like in the reviews. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**LittleChomper:** Oh yes, totally! I'm glad you're liking the little LawLu moments—more shall come! And yes, after I'm finished with this story, I'm going to rewrite that one. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Cereza101:** Haha, I'm with you on that. Although, asshole!Crocodile (when is he *not* an asshole ahha) is fun to write. Thanks for reading/reviewing/and getting angry at Croc!

**Stardustadventurer:** He is, he really is. It's hard to write his thoughts on the matter since it's all Luffy's POV, but basically, he is: You (Luffy) are the other woman, Robin is the wife, you two do not mix (i.e. two completely different lives). And in later chapters, I'll have him reveal his true thoughts on Robin and their engagement, which might help give an insight from where he's coming from (not to say that he's in the right to think as such, ahah). Everybody in this story will get their proper dues by the end. I'm so glad you feel and think all of this! It makes me very happy/proud of my writing, so thank you. And thank you for reading/reviewing/&amp; ranting about dumbo Crocodile. :D

**Zacky:** Haha, yes! Thanks! :D

**Tigerlilie69: **He is an ass. *rages with you* Yeah, Crocodile is going to have to watch that perfect set of buns from now on in this story—don't think imma let him get away with this—karma will eventually come after him, in one form or another. ; ) Mmmm we'll see what pairing, if any, will be standing by the end. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Starlight555:** Mmm, The "D" is hard to answer…only because we don't know much about it right now. I'll try to make it where all the D's are strong willed (or become strong willed by the end of the story), but I'm not sure how much I can go into detail in regards to that. Dragon, yes, will appear in the story, eventually. Thanks for the questions and for reading/reviewing!

**TissueCube:** Awww, thank you so much! :'D Yeah, I totally get where you're coming from, and I'm glad that this story is keeping you around for some more. And yes, Crocodile is leading Luffy down a *bad* path, but I won't say any more about that. Oh my goodness, your kind words are just amazing and you're amazing and thank you so much for reading this story! It really means a lot to me when readers enjoy my work, so thank you. : )

**Milkachocolate: **Ohhh, I was just super motivated by all the amazing reviews I received, like yours, so I updated really fast, haha. And please, don't ever feel pressured to review! Just knowing that you read and liked what I put out there already means a lot to me. And nooo, you're making me blush—I just feel that you reviewers put in the effort to review, so I might as well try to respond to the best of my ability. All of you readers are the sweet ones.

While Shanks is kind missing right now, his role will come towards the end. And I've have ideas for Sabo, but I really like your idea about him being a childhood friend—I might do that, if you don't mind : ) aww your review just makes me so happy and thank you so much for the kind words you awesome person, you :'D AH YES HISTORY BUDDIES. Because of school, I know a ton about American history, but outside of school, I focus on European and Australian history (I'm working on an Original story based on the mistreatment of women and aboriginals in 1900s Australia). It's always nice to find a fellow history lover. Anyway, thank you so much for your very kind review!

**Anon:** Yeah, that is definitely going to throw a wrench in their…relationship, if it could be called that at this moment. Yes, Crocodile is probs the biggest asshole in this story. And the "XX" is only in reference to this being chapter 2o. At chapter ten, I labeled in "X"…I only did this because I thought it would look cool in the chapter tab. I'm a dork like that, haha. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	22. Wedding Planning

***Chapter takes place about a few days after the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Wedding Planning

Luffy handed Nami a plate of scrambled eggs and sausages, offering the new maid a small smile. "Go place these in the middle of the table," she ordered her, feeling giddy for having this tiny bit of power over the fellow servant.

Before, Luffy was on the bottom of the maid pyramid, but with the addition of Nami and Zoro, she was given more power. She never ordered them to do anything too tedious or outrageous, but it felt nice to hand off some of the responsibilities to those two.

"Alright," Nami agreed as she twirled around, making sure not to bump into the drooling chef watching her from behind the kitchen island. "Excuse me," she murmured to him before leaving the kitchen.

Cupping his cheeks, Sanji fluttered over to a counter, nostrils flaring and lips forming a wide grin. "She talked to me," he sang sweetly, gushing all the while. "She's perfect, and Luffy's perfect, and Lady Robin is _perfect_: all these girls living in the mansion!" His face met the smooth counter top, his drool forming a little puddle.

Breaking off a chunk of biscuit, Luffy shrugged at the strange antiques of her friend. She would never understand him or the reasons why he did the odd things he did, nor did she really care to even find out in the first place. "You know, Lady Robin talked about you yesterday."

Sanji's wide-eyed stare was before Luffy in half a second, hands gripping her shoulders tightly. "She _what_?" he practically gasped, mouth hanging ajar as he searched her face. "_**What**_ did she say?"

Blinking, she simply answered, "That she enjoyed your cooking."

If a person could melt into butter, Sanji did just that, practically collapsing into Luffy's arms as his eyes rolled back. With reddened cheeks he whispered unintelligible words mixed in with grunts and whimpers.

Nami's voice filled the kitchen. "Is he alright?" she asked, cocking a brow as she approached the scene. "_Did he faint?_"

Pouting, Luffy shrugged in response as she knelt down to lie the chef upon the floor, standing up afterwards and brushing off her hands. "He usually doesn't act this strange…"

Shaking her head, Nami went for the counter, picking up the plate of biscuits and eyeing it hard. "I thought there were more of these earlier…?"

Casting her gaze aside and wiping the corner of her mouth, Luffy quickly responded, "Oh, well I _guess_ you miscounted." She scurried over to the pitcher of orange juice and the pot of coffee. "Let's get the rest of the items out instead of worrying about missing food."

"_Missing_?" Nami began, gaze slowly finding Luffy's. "I thought I miscounted…?"

Inhaling deeply, Luffy only responded by turning around sharply and scurrying out of the kitchen, expression that of a child who had just been caught stealing. She didn't need Nami catching on to her _little_ habit of sneaking food.

Upon entering the dining hall, she found Robin had already arrived, seated and everything. She quickly approached her, before asking, "To drink?" She lifted both the orange juice pitcher and the coffee pot, tilting her head to the side and smiling.

"Orange juice would be fine," Robin answered softly, smiling when Luffy poured her a glass. "Thank you so much."

Luffy found herself happy then, almost as if appreciated.

_Robin is so kind…_

Nami entered then, placing the rest of the platters down upon the table. "Is there anything you need, Robin?" she asked sweetly then, glancing over to the older woman.

Shaking her head, Robin went to reach out for her plate. "All of this will due—I'm sure a lot of it will go to waste, though…"

Luffy shook her head. "We servants are allowed to eat the leftovers, if there is any." She took the coffee pot over to Crocodile's side of the table, his chair empty. Filling his cup, she went on to add, "Sanji takes a lot of pride into his cooking and ends up preparing too much, so there should be enough to go around."

A wide smile came to life upon the woman's face. "He seems like a passionate young man," she commented, glancing off towards the hallway. "A sweetheart even; just the other day, he helped me carry some luggage around."

Nami snickered from her corner of the room before saying, "Too bad he isn't your husband to be—I bet your marriage would be a lot smoother with that type of guy, always willing to do what you wanted."

Luffy found herself smiling softly at that, glancing towards the hallway when she heard familiar footsteps. Stiffening her posture, she threw a quick look of warning towards the other maid, which prompted Nami to silence her soft giggles.

When Crocodile entered, Luffy pulled away from that side of the table, offering him only one glance before moving away to place the coffee pot down. After that, she took to the back of the room beside Nami, hands folding together behind her back.

Silently he sat down, reaching out for his newspaper, like always. His eyes scanned the headlines, brows lowering, probably from reading something he didn't agree with. With a heavy exhale, he tossed it aside before going for his coffee.

And for the next handful of minutes, the two ate in utter silence, not even bothering to greet each other good morning. Robin, while seemingly happy in expression, kept to herself and Crocodile stayed grim of face; however, he would occasionally glance Luffy's way, prompting her to lower her gaze.

"Are you going to be busy today?" Robin asked then, earning both of their attention. She sipped some of her orange juice before placing it down and crossing her hands together over the table.

Picking at his plate, Crocodile dully answered, "I'm always busy—why?"

"I was thinking of heading out again today—my mother made arrangements with a tailor and I figured it would be a good idea to start picking out floral arrangements and catering…"

He stopped her with a dismissing wave of his hand. "I want to keep this event simple," he objected, frowning afterwards. "I'm sure you can handle all the basics on your own, yes?"

A sigh escaped Robin's mouth. "Then what of the reception? We still have much to go over in regards to that."

His expression fell heavy as he slumped back in his seat. "Reception?" he practically groaned, hand reaching up to slick his hair back. "Is there really a need for such a thing?"

Robin shrugged. "It would be rude to the guests without one—do you expect them just to _leave _after the ceremony?" Pausing, she took another drink of her orange juice before adding, "Many are family traveling in from across the country…"

"_Your_ family," he objected quietly before casting his gaze aside through a nearby window. "If there _has_ to be one, then so be it—but I don't have time to waste on making plans." Returning his stare to hers, he added, "Do it yourself."

It was Robin's turn to slump back, expression finally morphing into that of annoyance. "It would be nice if you helped at least a little bit—it is _your_ wedding as well."

Crocking a brow, he pressed his hand to his armrest, nails digging in. The look he sent the woman caused a wave of shivers to roll down Luffy's back. "I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear?" he questioned then, gaze hardening. "What part of _I don't have time to waste _did you not understand?"

Robin's posture straightened up a bit, as if she weren't used to being addressed in such a firm tone. Luffy caught a frown tugging at the corner of her lips, jaw clenching. "I didn't realize how tedious it must be to lounge around in that office of yours all day," she responded, voice calm, but with a _hint_ of anger.

Crocodile seemed unimpressed with her comment, reaching out for his coffee for a sip. Placing the cup down, he coolly responded, "Your mother failed to mention that you have quite the mouth on you."

Robin smiled softly. "Don't all people have mouths, though?"

He frowned to that, snapping his gaze over to Nami when she let out a soft laugh. His looked silenced her instantly. "Do you really think you should be testing me?" he asked then, returning his glare back to Robin. "It's only been, _what_, two weeks or so and I'm already starting to grow tired of you." When Robin went to speak, he cut her off. "Your mother seems to believe she's doing me a _favor_ by setting up this marriage—if _anything_, I'm doing her a favor. Twenty-Eight and still unwed? And you have the _**nerve**_ to speak to me in such a tone?" He leaned forward in his seat. "It would be wise of you to watch your tongue."

The woman remained mute but her stare grew hard. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but the words were caught in her throat.

Crocodile returned to eating, ending the conversation at that—that is, until a few minutes later, Luffy found herself speaking. "Sir?" she started, voice soft—_nervous_—afraid of how to go about this. When he looked her way, almost surprised that she said something, she continued on. "If you wouldn't mind, I can accompany Lady Robin to help carry around her items—it might ease the stress of having to plan…plan for the wedding."

She felt Robin cock her stare back at her, but she kept her eyes glued straight forward to Crocodile's. Licking his lower lip, he responded, "She already has two personal servants—what good will _you_ do her?"

Chewing on her inner cheek, she felt herself growing unsure on how to continue this. She wished, at that moment, she had the confidence Robin seemed to have—or at least, the confidence she did have earlier. "I just thought…that it would be easier for you if I went in your place, so that you may get your work done."

Crocodile remained silent for a moment, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his napkin between his fingers. "Is that what you want?" he asked, expression growing in curiosity.

Luffy gave a mute nod.

Inhaling deeply, he arose and nodded. "Fine," he agreed, pulling away from the table. "If she'll have you, then go." And with that, he left the dining hall, not another word spoken.

* * *

In Robin's personal automobile, Luffy sat beside the woman near the window, Nami on the other side and Zoro driving. It wasn't as sleek as Crocodile's but it felt more comfortable and there was a faint smell of vanilla from somewhere.

A hand pressed gently on top of Luffy's, causing her to glance to her side.

Robin offered her a warm smile before whispering, "Thank you, _for earlier_—it was very brave of you to stand up to him for me."

"Oh," she began, blushing when she caught Nami sending her a similar smile. _I didn't really stand up to him, though…_"I…I didn't do anything…"

Robin shook her head _no_. "It was more than enough, Luffy," she objected softly, hand still upon hers. "It's nice knowing I have a friend besides Nami and Zoro in that mansion." Pausing, she wrapped her fingers around Luffy's before firmly adding, "I promise I'll look out for you now as you've looked out for me—I won't let that man break us down."

"But…" Luffy tried to protest.

Nami laughed quietly. "There's no stopping it," she responded with a wave of her finger. "We're all in this together now!"

When Robin released her hand, Luffy brought it up to her chest as she casted her gaze out through the window, fighting back the urge to smile. It felt nice then, at that moment, to be told such things—to be promised protection and friendship and everything that entitled; yet, at the same time, she felt a bit of dread deep down inside.

While she did want to stop her _special_ interactions with Crocodile in order to spare Robin's feelings, she never figured she would develop a friendship with the woman. If anything, Luffy always assumed that after they married, she would leave—there would be no reason for her to stay then, Crocodile would have Nami and Zoro to aid him, and she considered the information she collected for Ace so far to be enough; however, such thoughts always left her a bit…

_Sad._

And it wasn't because of the idea of not gathering information for Ace, or not living in such a fine manor or having unlimited access to food anymore—no, it was the mere thought of not _interacting_ with Crocodile again that left her uneasy. The past two weeks alone were hard enough on her. There were multiple occasions where she contemplated giving into him, to wrap her arms around him and allow him to have her in the way he did so many times before.

Luffy missed the feeling of his affection—if that could be called as such. She enjoyed the pressure of his body against hers as he held her through the night, his chest rising and falling like a lullaby under her head. And while he could be quite terrifying on his own, she felt _safe_ around him, protected and unfearful of the world as long as he was by her side.

Yet, each time she thought about going back to him in that way, the image of Robin would appear in her head, prompting that knot of guilt within to burst open like a fresh wound. The woman was to be his wife soon; who was she to ruin their marriage before it even began? Robin already appeared so unhappy with the arrangement, so if Luffy were to ever give into such feelings, she feared it might destroy any chance the woman had at achieving a manageable marriage.

And Luffy knew she wouldn't be able to bear that type of guilt.

The maid figured that since Robin was being _forced_ into marriage with Crocodile, she should be given all rights to him—to be given a _chance_ to make it a happy arrangement, as man and wife. There was no room for Luffy in that equation, and it bothered her that _he_ couldn't see that.

Frowning, Luffy pressed her head against the side of the car door, sighing softly. Crocodile seemed almost oblivious to the matter, and it puzzled her. He was an intuitive man—he should have spotted this problem already; yet, he continued to pressure Luffy into giving into him. She had no idea how much longer she would be able to fight him on the matter, to not give into her own urges and forget all about the icky guilt inside of her. The longer he stayed persistent on the subject, the weaker she became.

Shaking her head briefly, she sat up and glanced out through the window, pushing back all her confusing thoughts. The city outside seemed familiar, but she found herself cocking a brow. Looking towards Nami and earning the other maid's attention, she softly said, "We're going the wrong way."

With eyes widening and expression morphing into that of pure fury, Nami leaned forward to slap the front of the car—the back of Zoro's seat. "_**Zoro!"**_ she screeched, causing Robin to laugh quietly and Luffy to smile lightly.

* * *

Robin came out of the dressing room wearing a white elegant gown that was fitted at the waist but ruffled out downwards. Luffy found herself blushing at the sight of her, hands cupping her cheeks as she sat beside Nami in utter amazement.

Sporting a fat frown, Robin went before a mirror, eyeing her reflection hard. "This is the dress my mother had picked out," she explained when Nami got up to approach her, little hands gently touching some of the ruffles. "I don't like it very much," she added before glancing over to Luffy. "What do you think?"

"It's pretty," she answered softly, fighting back the urge to smile like a fool. It was by far one of the most beautiful dresses Luffy ever saw, and even though, she herself, would never wear something so extravagant, it was nice to see others wear such things. "You look very nice," she added.

Robin shrugged, casting her gaze back to the mirror as she went to fix her hair. "I don't know," she objected, hands falling before her waist. "My mother has already paid for it, so I suppose I can't object…"

"It's fine!" Nami commented, pulling back from the woman to get a better look of it overall. "Honestly," she began sweetly, "this is probably the best part of getting married—looking _this_ beautiful."

Robin smirked softly, shaking her head once as she turned around to walk away from the mirror. "I believe the best part will be the short vacation to the islands after the ceremony," she began before heading back to the dressing room.

"A honeymoon?" Nami questioned, brow arching.

Pausing at the adjacent room, Robin glanced back at the two maids. "Yes," she answered before quickly adding, "don't get me wrong here, I'm _not_ looking forward to the wedding _night_, just the scenery of the islands."

Nami pouted, cocking a glance back at Luffy to share a grim expression as Robin left to get undressed. Approaching her, Nami sat down and slowly leaned in towards Luffy's ear to whisper, "Luckily for Robin, her wedding night won't be the first time she's…_gone_ there."

Tilting her head, Luffy softly asked, "Gone there?"

Nami smirked, hand reaching out to touch Luffy's shoulder. "_You know_," she started with a glimmer in her eye, "_**gone**__ there, _as in _with another man…_do you understand?"

Widening her stare, Luffy quickly nodded, cheeks warming up as she finally put together what Nami was trying to imply. Pressing her finger to her chin, she asked, "So she isn't a…"

Nami shook her head _no_. "Thankfully—I think it would be absolutely terrible to do that for the first time with somebody like that old man." Crossing her arms, she firmly added, "She is already dreading her wedding night—she told me so the other day. The thought of sharing a bed with him makes her skin crawl. It even makes _my_ skin crawl."

Luffy stopped herself from objecting, remembering that it would be unwise to share certain details with the fellow maid. Exhaling softly, she stated, "I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad…"

Nami threw her a dull expression. "Don't be naïve—this is the same guy who yelled at Robin for wanting him to participate in his _own _wedding planning." Slumping back in her seat, she went to add, "It's our jobs to protect Robin at all costs, Luffy."

Luffy found herself staring at the floor, hands folded together over her lap and a frown taking to her lips. "But…but I was hired by Crocodile…"

"I know you're _his_ maid, but once they've married, you'll become Robin's as well," Nami explained as she threw an arm around Luffy's shoulders. "I'm sure working for him is a nightmare, but don't worry—you'll never feel like that around her."

_But it's not Robin that I'm worried about…_

* * *

The stars within the blanket of night skies illuminated her path as she approached the bridge, carrying a plate of meat. It had become a habit of hers to come all the way out there in the hunting grounds most nights, feeding the overgrown lizards whenever Crocodile became too busy to do so himself.

And over the weeks of her time working there, they had grown to recognize her, crowding in the waters right beneath the bridge with hungry eyes. They knew her, remembered her scent, and memorized her face: she was the food giver, a friend.

With snapping teeth and hungry growls, they glared up at her from the murky river water, waiting for her to dump the meat. With a soft smile, she did just that, one strip at a time. Luffy very much enjoyed feeding the crocodiles, finding them ferocious yet adorable at the same time—something she could _almost _say about her employer.

Before tossing out the last chunk of meat, she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, smiling at the cool weather outside. While it was extremely warm out that afternoon, it had grown cool by nightfall, an enjoyable temperature to relax.

From the corner of her eye, she caught something move down the path, prompting her to turn her attention that way. Blinking, she glanced away when she realized who it was, fingers gripping the edge of the plate tightly.

When he approached her side to glance down at the crocodiles, she swallowed, unsure of what to say or do. He rested his stump upon the top of the bridge railing, a smile picking at the corner of his lips. "I think they've come to like you, or at least, appreciate you," he commented as his eyes searched the river before them. "Before you came along, I was the only one who would bother feeding them snacks."

Shrugging, she responded, "I just don't want them to go eat the flamingos—they've been laying eggs recently…"

Crocodile frowned, jaw clenching. "I admit I regret having Hawkins bring them in; they're reproducing faster than I'd imagine and they're starting to overpopulate the grounds." Pausing, he glanced her way, expression relaxing. "Perhaps it won't be so terrible to let the crocodile's hunt them, hmm?"

Pouting, she threw him a hard look, unhappy with his statement. "They'll eat the baby birds, though," she objected, tone almost stern.

"Those babies will only grow up into dumb floppy _irritable_ birds," he countered, eyes leaving hers to glance back down. He inhaled softly then, a lock of hair falling across his face. After a moment of doing just this, he pushed something along the top of the railing towards her. "I bought you something," he explained, voice soft.

Luffy's hand reached out for the small box, fingers running along its engraved surface slowly. "What is it?" she questioned then, taking it into her hands to examine it better.

"A gift."

Hesitantly, she opened it, pulling back a soft green cloth to reveal a ring with a red gem. Her eyes widened at it before looking to him. She opened her mouth to speak but found nothing to say.

Crocodile pulled the ring out of its container and took her hand, sliding it up her index finger. "It suits you," he commented, thumb brushing along the side of her palm. His eyes met hers. "There's more of where that came from," he began. "If you want more, you may ask it of me."

Swallowing, she glanced down at her hand, taking in his flesh against hers alongside the red stone. "Thank you, but I don't understand?"

His hand left hers to press it to her chin, tugging it upwards so that she would look at him. "The past couple of weeks have been…_long_," he explained, eyes searching hers as his hand slid up the side of her face, cupping her cheek. "Going so long without your touch is proving to be difficult."

Arching her brows, Luffy tried to pull away but was stopped when Crocodile drew her against the railing gently, his body leaning to hers. "We can't," she tried to object, but the words came out a faint whisper. The plate fell from her hands, shattering across the bridge.

"I've come to realizes that perhaps you've _misunderstood_ the entire situation," he continued, hand sliding down to brush alongside her neck. "If you think I will not have need of you after my marriage, you are mistaken." His hand went to grab the back of her neck, body pressing hers hard against the railing. "That woman will never replace you," he added, his face leaning in towards hers, his mouth tracing the crook of her neck.

When Luffy went to stop him—in fear of _giving_ into his touches—he pressed his hand to her waist, lifting her up and placing her on top of the railing. The sound of hungry crocodile growls prompted her to lean into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in fear of falling back into the murky river.

Crocodile dipped his waist in between her thighs, hand pulling her against him tightly as his mouth met hers. "I want you," he groaned as his lips left hers, hand sliding up her thigh under her skirts. "I want to _feel_ you again—to fuck you hard until you give yourself _entirely_ to me." His mouth found hers again, eyes growing hungry and demanding.

Luffy pressed the palm of her hand against his shoulder, trying to stop him. "No," she whined, breath growing heavy as he pulled his lips away from hers. "What about your fiancée?" With a flustered expression, she looked to him, taking in his frustrated stare.

"She means _nothing_ to me," he objected, tone harsh. "The marriage is a sham," he continued, fingers digging under the band of her undergarments. His forehead touched hers, eyes fluttering shut. "I find that woman utterly _disgusting _and if it weren't due to prior arrangements, I would not be taking her as my wife."

While his words began to convince her, she still couldn't help but feel horrible about Robin's side of the situation. "What of her? It isn't fair…"

"Life isn't fair," he snapped back, eyes opening to search hers. "I don't care about her nor do I plan on making this marriage a _happy _one. I will allow her to sleep in _my_ mansion, eat _my_ food, and take on _my_ last name, but I will _**never **_look to her in a loving way." Pausing, he pulled away slightly, removing his hand from under her skirt to hold her upper back. "All I care about is what I want, and what I want is _you_."

Her heartbeat increased, the pulse beginning to grow between her legs. The way he spoke and how his hand lingered on her body made her weak and forgetful of earlier vows. Her hand found its way to the side of his face, fingers reaching out to brush the corner of his scar. "Then don't marry her," she finally offered, just on the verge of giving herself to him.

If he could do that, allow Robin her freedom from the arrangement, Luffy would allow him to take her right then and there. But he had to call it off…_he __**has**__ too…_

Crocodile's brows lowered, a frown forming. "I can't," he responded softly. "I can give you anything else your heart desires, but I cannot call off the arrangement."

Luffy found herself frowning, hand falling from his face.

"You don't understand," he explained, pausing afterwards as if searching for the right words. "If I call it off then I break whatever alliance I have with her mother, and that is something I can't afford to lose at this moment and time."

Inhaling deeply, Luffy firmly stated, "Then I cannot go to you as you want me too."

Anger crossed his eyes, fingers digging into her back, clearly unhappy with her choice of words. "You're being _ridiculous_," he countered. "All of this trouble over that woman? _Why?_ Because you feel _bad_ for her? _**Guilty?**_" He pulled her down from the railing and took to grabbing her shoulder tightly. "Learn to be selfish!"

Shrugging his grip off of her, Luffy threw him a hard look. "I won't be that type of girl," she began, turning around to leave but stopping when his arm wrapped around hers and her chest. He pulled her against his chest, squeezing the air out of her. She tried to wiggle free but the constraint of his arm was too powerful.

"You became _that_ type of girl the first night you slithered into my bed," he whispered harshly into her ear.

"Let go!" she whined as she tried to wrench herself free. When he turned her around, she saw an anger in his eyes that sent a shiver down her back. And the next thing she knew, her hand met his cheek, the ring cutting into his flesh.

Her heart almost stopped then as she pulled away from him, eyes glued on the small cut on his cheek. A drip of blood—extremely small—formed upon the surface of the new wound, his hand reaching up to touch it.

Luffy wanted to apologize then, tell him she didn't mean it and that she was sorry. But any words she had started to say kept hidden in her throat.

His eyes fell to his hand, taking in the splotch of blood upon his finger and when he looked to her, Luffy found herself backing up against the railing from sheer panic and fear. "You're replaceable," he spoke then, voice an eerie calm. "I don't think you realize that."

And with that, he pushed her aside to walk down the bridge and towards the mansion, no more words spoken.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** A month passes by and it's the day before the wedding. During the month, Crocodile has dismissed Luffy from personally assisting him and uses either Nami or Zoro to do the work that she once did, prompting Luffy to feel confused and hurt and guilty. Doflamingo comes to town with his men to attend the wedding and Luffy confides in Law about everything that's been going on. How will he react?

* * *

***Side Story will be posted chapter 25, right after the Crocodile back story chapter (chapter 24) &amp; before the wedding chapter (chapter 26). So there's still more time to go and vote! : )**

***Also, I apologize if Luffy comes across as annoying in her thought process/how she deals with Crocodile/Robin situation. I'm trying to make her come off as naïve and confused with her emotions as well as still interested in Crocodile. Like, he was her first &amp; she only knows him in regards to sex/relationships, so even if it's really fucked up (he's being kind of manipulating/cruel towards her) she doesn't know any better, if that makes sense. But Luffy won't stay that way for long, of course—but for now, she's still that naïve 17 year old. ((Basically: I don't promote dating assholes like how Crocodile is portrayed, or unhealthy relationships like this. /flutters away))**

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**LittleChomper:** Yeah, Luffy's having a hard time, but it'll eventually get better for her, hopefully. And she'll learn to be stronger/stand up to him more as well as deal with her emotions. Your angry spirit was in Luffy's fist when she punched him in this chapter ;) And yes! Law is part of the paring! I think I added that in when I uploaded chapter ten, because that's when I was 100 percent sure I wanted Law to the be the other potential love interest in this story, haha Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Starlight555: **Ohhhh, haha, I'm just motivated to write it when I get such amazing reviews from all of you readers! And no problem! Feel free to ask any questions you like! I have a strong feeling that the LawLu relationship in this story will be much preferred with readers over the Crocodile/Luffy relationship : ) Also, for some reason, the polls on FF change the order every time the poll is opened, so while number 1 might be a certain choice for you, 1 might be a different choice when I look at it, so if you don't mind, offering a quick description of what your choice is? Thank you! And thank you for reading/reviewing! :D

**Vampirelover12100:** Ohhh, I think that was one of my shorter chapters, haha. But I'm glad it flew by for you. And your review is very kind/touches my writer's heart. Thank you so much for the wonderful review and for reading! :"D

**Stardustadventurer:** Yes, Croco-boy needs to learn that he can't push everybody around like that or else he's going to get it throw right back at him. While she didn't knee him, she got to physically express her frustrations with him in this chapter! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Milkachocolate:** Awwww /blushes/ More Law shall come in the next chapter! Yeah, *if* Luffy goes back on the "train" with Crocodile and Robin finds out, oooooo yeah, let's just say Robin will feel more than just betrayed. I'm not even going to beat around the bush here: When Ace finds out, he'll have _a lot_ of strong choice words about the subject. I mean, his little baby sibling going on the smut train with that old grouchy mob dude? Um no, Ace won't settle for that. And yes, there are so many OP characters and I try to work in as many as possible. But always feel free to ask if such and such will make an appearance—sometimes I forget characters and when a reader asks, it gives me ideas!

Ohhh, so kind of you to be interested in my original story—while I'm not focused on it right now (not writing it as much as I was) I'll totally bring it up if I ever get around to finishing it. O, the Middle East? Any particular parts/lands/myths/religions/etc.? Are you studying it as a hobby or for education? Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D

**Guest:** Thanks for the vote!

**TheBlackSeaReaper:** Thank you so much! :D

**TissueCube: **Aw, thank you so much! And yes, I'm so happy you're picking up on Crocodile's changing attitude. While he is still a major meanie/asshole, he's starting to become more attune to Luffy's feelings/emotions/thoughts, slowly but steadily so. And I hope when I do his backstory soon, it'll give the readers a good view as to why he does the things he does in this story and why he reacts as such, etc. I think for the next 5-10 chapters, Luffy and Crocodile will be pretty tense with each other (a little friendly next chapter) but after that, they should become a bit closer, but you'll see what I mean when we get to that point in the story. Thank you so much for reading/reviewing! :D

**KawaiiDoge:** Welcome! Thank you so much for the kind words! I know Doffy doesn't show up a lot, but in the second half (part two) of it, he'll become one of the main characters (on level with Crocodile). Thank you so much for reading this story and reviewing!


	23. Icky Emotions

**A/N: I hope you guys don't mind that I make Robin out as kind of motherly. (I'm super into the mama!Robin protective vibe). Also, Luffy is going to be a whiny **_**mess **_**in this chapter (I'm trying to have her confidence break **_***fully***_** down before rebuilding it up again into the super confidence of Canon Luffy). So I apologize if hardcore whiny ooc Luffy offends you.**

**Also, smut train at: oOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Icky Emotions

It had been a month since Luffy struck Crocodile.

Upon that very night, Luffy had went to bed hoping—_praying_—that he was not angry at her for what she did, that his words were only empty threats. "_Replaceable,"_ he had told her, tone cold and harsh and everything she hated, prompting her to shake and shiver in her cot throughout the night—a mixture of guilt, fear, utter panic, and a hint of nausea boiling around in her guts.

Since that night, he had not gone to her. He did not speak to her of such intimate ways he did before, he did not reach his fingers out to touch her, nor did he look at her with the same passion and hunger. Crocodile had fully stopped his pursuit of her, going as far as to change the chores of the servants.

Luffy was left to do the tedious stuff—cleaning the rooms, washing and hanging the laundry, greeting the guests, tending to Robin, and everything else that didn't involve interacting too much with Crocodile.

All the personal chores she had done before, from helping him dress and drawing his bath waters to aiding him around town and his office, had been left up to Robin's servants, Nami and Zoro. And each time Nami came back to complain about the grouch, Luffy could only find herself falling into a deeper and deeper pit of despair.

"He's too mean," Nami would explain, flopping over her cot to rest. "It's not fair—you used to do all this stuff, but now he's making Zoro and I do it. Does he think that since we're Robin's servants he can boss us around like that?" Other times, the girl would whine about how he would snap at her and Zoro for making mistakes. "Nothing we do seems to please him," she'd say, wide eyes looking to Luffy's for tips. "Was he like that when you use to help him out all the time?"

And while Luffy wanted those types of intimate interactions between Crocodile and her to cease, she didn't realize how much it would bother her when it happened. This was what she wanted, in order to protect Robin's feelings, but to have it done as suddenly as it was, was proving to be difficult for her to handle.

If anything, their relationship was simply maid and employer and nothing else. There were no conversations shared between the two, no friendly interactions—nothing. If he required something of her, he'd give the order and say not a word more.

Of course though, with him requiring either Nami or Zoro to assist him, Luffy was left to tend to Robin for most of the days. She didn't dread her interactions with Robin and the two formed a friendship, one that helped Luffy feel better on her rougher days. And while she harbored no more guilt over what she _had_ been doing with Crocodile, she found a new wave of difficult emotions to deal with.

_Guilt replaced with hurt…_

And it did hurt, to think he could just toss her aside, as if she were truly _replaceable._ He had done as such by looking to the other servants and it started to get to the point where Luffy actually believed it. Whatever little confidence she once had in herself was now shattered, broken into little pieces by one man.

She felt unwanted, tempted to slip away and run home—not even bother to go back to Buggy's shack, because the closer she was to the mansion, the closer she was to Crocodile, and Luffy simply wanted to disappear.

Of course her grandfather would welcome her back. She had saved enough money to help take care of him for a while, and even help Ace out with his debts. And if not, she could always go live with her father—something she wasn't too keen on, but if it meant helping to stop those pesky feelings of despair she had, she'd do it.

Yes, it had been one month since the night she struck him and Luffy regretted doing so every day since.

And now it was the day before his wedding, with her combing Robin's hair in the early morning hours. Much had to be done that day, including the arrival of the Doflamingo clan. For some reason or another, the blonde had been invited—Zoro claimed that he overheard Crocodile mention something along the lines of _how did that idiot bird find out _into the phone once, but he wasn't exactly sure of the response given.

While Luffy wasn't keen on the day to follow, she had to admit she did feel a bit excited of Doflamingo's arrival, not to say she was looking forward to seeing the pink mass of feathers, but more so one of his men: Law. The last she saw of him was back when they stayed at that brothel, where he confessed his attraction to her and claimed he'd steal her heart.

She thought it all over the top in all honesty, but she still couldn't help but smile like the young girl she was when she'd replay his words in her mind. He was kind and there was a passion in his eyes that drew her to him—she felt as if she could easily relate to him, rely on him, and even look to him for guidance. Law was everything Crocodile was not, yet, at the same time, Crocodile was everything Law wasn't.

"Tomorrow is the big day," Robin said, drawing Luffy back to reality. "I'm to marry that man before all of my family—profess my undying love for him and exchange vows." A look of disgust travel across the woman's face, reflected back in a nearby vanity mirror. "I admit—and I would never even say this if not for having grown closer to you—but I admit that I find myself envying you."

Cocking a brow, Luffy pulled the brush away from the woman's dark locks of hair. "What do you mean?"

Robin smiled softly, eyes falling to her lap. "You and your position in life. I don't mean to insult you, but I find that living the life of the…of those _poorer _in status seems to offer more freedom." She paused then, eyes darting to the mirror to meet Luffy's reflected stare. "You can go if you wish it, leave and travel the world without being tied down to anyone."

Luffy exhaled softly, fingers running through Robin's hair to bring it into a bun. "It's not that easy," she responded. "_But_ I understand what you mean."

Robin nodded before she reached up to touch the back of Luffy's hand on her shoulder. "I'm lucky that I have you here to talk to…to express my true thoughts and feelings—I think I would go mad if left to fend for myself here." She laughed then, softly as she hid her mouth with her other hand. "I never thought it would end up like this, though. When I was a young girl, I dreamt of traveling, and studying the mysteries the world has to offer."

Luffy offered her a warm smile as she pulled away, reaching out for Robin's shoes to dress her. "That's a nice dream," she commented as she knelt down before the woman. "I'm sorry life didn't go as you wanted it."

"And what of you?" Robin questioned then.

She shrugged as she pressed the shoes to her feet. "I know I want to do everything in my power to protect my loved ones," she explained softly, unsure of how to word her answer. "And, sometimes when I'm alone with my thoughts, I think about how nice it would be to go on an adventure." She ran her hand over her bare fingers, mind thinking about the ring she wore only once one month ago, now hidden beneath her bed.

Robin cocked her head to the side when Luffy looked up at her. "Adventure? Where to?"

"Anywhere," the maid answered. "_Everywhere_—I want to see the world, find hidden treasures and discover secrets…almost like your dream."

Robin smiled once more, arising when Luffy had finished doing her shoes. "Perhaps, one day, we can go do that," the woman stated before flattening down her dress skirts and moving towards the door. "Come, Crocodile will be leaving soon to go meet that man, and it would be considered rude of me not to bid him farewell, especially the day before our wedding."

* * *

Luffy followed Robin outside, Crocodile's tall figure coming into full view as they made their way down the path from the mansion. He was talking with Daz, his car door open and ready for departure. To the back of the car, in the servants' seats, sat Zoro—grim of face.

"Looks like he's taking my butler with him again," Robin murmured softly to Luffy with a small smirk. "Poor boy truly hates that man—I do pity him, to have to follow Crocodile around all day like that."

Luffy nodded silently, eyes glazing over the butler to glance back at Crocodile and Daz. Neither of them seemed to notice their arrival, but Zoro offered them a polite—yet stiff—nod of acknowledgment.

After a moment of just standing there, Robin cleared her throat, hands folding together before her waist. When she did as such, Crocodile's dull gaze flickered over to her, brow cocking. "When shall we expect you back?" she questioned then. "My mother should arrive by evening and it would be nice if you were here to greet her."

He seemed displeased but answered nevertheless. "I should be back mid-afternoon—I don't plan on entertaining that bastard Doflamingo for very long."

Robin glanced away quickly before frowning and saying, "If he upsets you so, why did you invite him to the ceremony?"

A hard look came to life in his eyes. "I didn't," he answered, tone harsh as if he found her question utterly insulting as well as annoying. "Somebody clued him in…" His gaze drifted past Robin's shoulder to find Luffy's, prompting her to look away the moment they locked eyes. "I'm hoping to discourage him today from attending, if I am ever so lucky."

With a deep exhaled, he turned to enter the car, not offering Robin another word or a goodbye. She, on the other hand, murmured a soft farewell, a look of annoyance crossing her face. And as Daz drove the car down the drive, she sent Luffy a coy expression before jokingly stating, "Hopefully, he'll stay out all night and miss the wedding—can't marry somebody who isn't there."

Luffy offered her a smile, trying to fight off the urge to pout.

_It used to be me that got to go out to the city with him…_

* * *

An hour later they—along with Nami—were out in the gardens, walking around and listening to all the grand tales the gardener had to share. Usopp had become found of such meetings, clearly smitten by the older woman and happy to share his stories with Nami. While they weren't as easily excited as Luffy was in regards to what he had to say, they clearly showed signs of interest.

"And that's when I slayed the giant goldfish," he concluded proudly, hands pressing on his hips as he gazed off into the skies. "Many were saved because of my heroic deeds."

"Oh," Robin sweetly said as she turned away from a rose bush, "that was a lovely story—I'm flattered to have met such a hero."

"Giant goldfish, you say?" Nami muttered as she cocked a brow, clearly suspicious.

Luffy, with wide eyes, answered for the gardener by quickly nodding. "And he's fought other monstrous creatures as well, Nami!" she exclaimed, hands clasping together over her chest as she recalled all the stories he told her in the past. "Usopp is truly the greatest warrior around!"

The gardener ran his hand through his hair, gripping at the back of his head as he kicked at some dirt. A soft pinkish tone took to his cheeks as he glanced away, mumbling something about being a hero and whatnot.

Smiling warmly, Robin took to a nearby patio table and chair, sitting down and reaching out for the pitcher of iced tea. "Every morning seems to be hotter than the one before," she stated as she poured herself a glass. "I fear this summer may be rough."

Nami nodded, sitting beside her to drink from her own glass. "It's much hotter out here than it was by the coastline—it would be nice to move back."

A frown tugged at the older woman's lips as she threw the girl a simple gaze. "It would, but I doubt Crocodile would want a change in scenery. He seems to enjoy the heat." She shrugged then, bringing her glass back to her lips to take a sip.

And while the two continued to chat about such things, and Usopp leaving to go water the garden, Luffy found herself wondering around aimlessly. She always thought the rose gardens to be lovely—very impressed by the gardener's talent. It amazed her that such a skilled warrior could be so delicate with flowers.

_Usopp is a man of many talents,_ she thought happily, walking farther and farther away from the group. She rarely had times alone like that—yes, she spent moments by herself in her and Nami's room, but that was far and few in between. Walks in the garden as such were even rarer, and oddly, gave her some peace of mind.

That was, until, something rattled in a nearby bush, prompting her to tense up and glance about nervously. It wasn't uncommon for one of the animals to wander in from the hunting grounds—mostly just birds and the occasional deer—but the thought of one of the crocodiles getting loose always panicked her.

Of course they knew her by then, but it wasn't wise to put all faith in such creatures; they could easily betray food givers if hungry enough.

What came out of the bush was much larger than a crocodile, walking upright with a tired expression glue to its face. And _it_ was no mere animal from the hunting grounds at all.

Blinking, Luffy found herself confused, shocked, curious, and yes, a little bit excited. "_What are you doing here?_" she asked in a whisper, so that the others could not hear the commotion.

Brushing a leaf off his shoulder, Law glanced towards her and offered her a thin smile. "I came to find you," he explained as he climbed out of the rest of the bush, allowing her to steady him when he almost tripped. "When your boss came to meet up with mine and you weren't there, I took the opportunity to come find you."

Exhaling, she quickly touched his shoulder, eyes noticing his out of breath expression. "How did you manage to get here?" she questioned. "Did you _walk_?"

Law shook his head _no_ and said, "I ran." Running the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away a drip of sweat, he glanced upwards to the skies. "I didn't know how long I'd have to spend with you and I didn't want to waste much time, so I ran."

Luffy smiled at that, fighting back the urge to laugh. "You must be thirsty then," she exclaimed, realizing that there was some fresh tea just around the corner. "Would you like me to get you a glass—there's a pitcher just over there."

Glancing past her, he shrugged and answered, "Sure, thanks."

Nodding, she pointed to a spot behind a tree. "Go wait over there—I don't want you getting caught here. I'll be right back."

Twirling around quickly, she headed straight back for Robin and the others, a smile wide on her face. She had originally feared she wouldn't see Law due to Crocodile taking Zoro instead of her with him to see Doflamingo, so it was quite the nice surprise to find him there in the gardens. _He broke in just to see me,_ she thought gleefully, cheeks warming up. _He __**ran**__ just to have enough time to visit me…_

When she appeared out of the gardens and before the other two women, she earned strange glances from them, prompting her to slow down and snap back to reality.

"Luffy," Nami began softly, placing her glass down. "Is everything alright? You're all red in the face…"

Robin glanced up at the sun briefly before adding in a worried tone, "Is the heat getting to you? Maybe you should go retire to your room and rest a spell?"

Shaking her head, Luffy quickly pointed to the pitcher. "I'm fine, really—I just need a glass of tea, that's all." She took to pouring a glass before holding it against her chest. When she caught the two women eyeing her suspiciously, she firmly stated, "I just got startled by a…by a, uh, animal…"

"_An animal?_" Robin asked, arching a brow. "Is it wild?" She straightened up in her seat, casting her gaze past her towards the garden. "Is it a dangerous beast?"

"Oh, no, no," Luffy answered, eyes widening when she saw the fear begin to build in the woman's eyes. "It was a small thing, really—a squirrel, I believe."

Nami snorted. "You're all worked up over a squirrel?"

Luffy forced a weak smile. "It was a pretty squirrel—with a handsome coat…" Swallowing, she took a step back. "I'm going to go back and make sure it's alright…I last saw it scurrying away and I, uh, well, I'll be back." And with that, she quickly twirled around, biting down on her lower lip as she left.

Even she could tell that was a terrible lie.

When she returned back to Law, she found him sitting beneath the tree, playing around with a fallen branch. As he glanced up, he offered her a smirk, eyes following her as she took to sitting beside him.

"Here," she said, handing over the drink. "It was just made," she added, watching as he took a gulp.

His tongue glided along his lower lip, lapping up a driblet of the drink. "It's delicious," he responded, placing the drink to his lap as his eyes never left hers. "Thank you."

She glanced away, hands clasping together upon her lap. "It was nothing," she responded softly as she leaned back against the tree, her shoulder touching his. "I'm…I'm glad you came." Her stare fell to his lap, watching as he placed the glass aside.

"Me too," he agreed, hand reaching out to press gently on top hers. "While I was running here, I thought constantly about what I would say or do," he began, tatted fingers tracing hers and prompting her heart to flutter. "But as I sit here now, I find myself forgetting the plan."

"_The plan?_" she questioned, tone soft and lips forming a smile. His touch felt nice against hers, the tracing of his fingers allowing her to relax. When she looked to him, she caught a smile forming on his face.

Shrugging, he brought his fingers in to weave with hers. "Remember?" he asked. "I told you how I felt…and how I wanted to, uh," pausing, he glanced away quickly before adding, "_court you_, I suppose would be the proper term."

Warmth built up inside of her. "You're too much," she found herself observing. "I don't know why you put in all this effort, especially for somebody like me." While Luffy never thought herself unpleasing in terms of appearance, she didn't find herself _that_ beautiful—a simple look with pretty eyes that'd break a few hearts, as her grandfather had once told her long ago. _Perhaps it's my personality he likes…?_

Law's grip on her hand tightened, but in a good way. "I don't know how much time I'll have with you," he answered. "We live so far apart and visits are rare—and like I said before, I don't want to leave at the end of the summer not knowing what _could_ have been."

Her gaze left his to fall upon their hands, a sigh escaping her. Law was kind, making her heart pound as well as send fiery sensations up her spine. She knew she liked him, a lot—he was everything she dreamed of when thinking of the _perfect guy_—sweet, fun to be around, not bad to look at, and of course, the most important, _potential food money_, but she'd never tell him that. _That'd just be one of the many benefits of being with such a person,_ she convinced herself, feeling only a tad bit guilty for thinking such things.

"Law," she said then, voice almost a whisper. "I…I would like to see what can become of us as well."

She felt him shift over, so that his body was facing more of her. "Then why do you sound so sad?" he asked, his tone soft and worried. Both of his hands were on hers now, causing her to glance up to meet his stare. "You can tell me anything that's on your mind."

Chewing on her inner cheek, she wondered if she _could_ actually do that. Yes, she trusted Law very much, considered him a friend that she could rely on. And it didn't hurt that the past month had been utterly horrible for her, so perhaps revealing certain information to him would be best.

_But how would he react?_ Obviously just straight up telling him that she's been sleeping with Crocodile would be unwise, but that was the very core of her problem. _And how can I expect to start something with Law if I'm not honest from the beginning._ Pulling her hands away from his, she sniffed and awkwardly muttered, "Before we…before we go any farther, I should tell you some things."

His expression morphed into that of curiosity and he remained silent.

"I…don't know where exactly I should being…" she started, the rest of the words falling silent upon her tongue.

"Start from the very beginning," he answered, hands pulling back to rest on his thighs. "Be patient, though, and don't worry—you can trust me."

She cupped her cheeks, afraid to say the words on her mind. _Just start from the first day—tell him about Ace and his problems and—no, don't._ Her eyes widened slightly then. _Don't mention Ace, protect him at all costs—just keep to Crocodile._

Inhaling deeply, she opened her mouth to start but stopped when a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Luffy?" Robin called out, tone surprised. When the maid turned to look her way, she instantly took in the shocked and worried expression on her face, eyes glued on the intruder known as Law. "Who is that man?" she questioned, frantic eyes switching between the two of them. "What's going on?"

Luffy quickly got up, hands rising to calm down the woman. "He's a friend," she explained, stepping in between them all. "He…he came to visit me, that's all."

Standing up, Law remained silent.

"I don't recall a guest," Robin responded, hands folding together as she gave him a once over. She seemed a bit more relaxed than a second ago, but the suspicion was still deep in her gaze. "Where did he enter the estate?"

Luffy swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer that. While she didn't think Robin would be too mad to learn that he snuck in, she feared that she might think Law troublesome for doing as such. _And if she learns that he is one of Doflamingo's men, then…_

Law gently pushed past Luffy to face the woman. "I climbed over the gate," he answered her firmly, prompting the maid to widen her eyes in horror.

_Don't tell her that!_

"The gate?" Robin mouthed, brow arching. "And why would you do such a thing?" Her arms crossed then, clearly not taking to Law.

He smirked slightly. "I wanted to visit Luffy, but there was no guard at the gate…so I just climbed over—I hope I didn't intrude that much, I don't mean to offend, my lady."

Robin blinked, eyes glancing over to Luffy's as the corner of her lip twitched. "You came to visit her…?" she muttered softly, body relaxing. A small smile formed as she nodded. "I…_Luffy_, may I please have a word with you alone?"

With her body stiff, the maid slowly followed Robin down the path, enough so that Law couldn't hear them speak. "Yes?" Luffy asked softly, fingers weaving together over her chest.

"While I don't condone trespassers, I…that boy…" Pausing, her soft gaze searched Luffy's panicked one. "Luffy, I didn't know you had somebody _special._"

"Special…?"

Robin nodded, the warm smile growing on her face. "Nami made mention of you slipping out in the middle of the night sometimes—I never asked you about it because I felt it wasn't my place, but have you been seeing this young man?"

Her lips fell ajar but nothing came out. _So Nami was awake when I would sneak out to send letters to Ace…_It worried her to think of who else might have known. Nodding, Luffy glanced back towards Law, taking in his tiny figure down the path. "He…" she began, words melting on the tip of her tongue.

Robin shook her head. "No, you don't need to explain—_I understand_." Her hand touched Luffy's shoulder, drawing back her attention. "My only concern is that you remain safe; you're still so young and while he appears kind enough, it isn't reassuring to know he would trespass onto the estate."

"I didn't know he would do that," Luffy responded, afraid that Robin would now look negatively towards Law. While she didn't think the woman would ever mention this to Crocodile with intentions to hurt her, she couldn't help but fear she might bring it up by the slip of the tongue. _She might tell him people are able to sneak in, which would lead to bringing up Law…but…_

But why should Law matter anymore to Crocodile?

Waving her hand, Robin simply informed her, "If he wishes to visit you, he may use the front door—_**I **_would consider myself rude if I allowed him to crawl over the gate from now on." Exhaling softly, she removed her hand from Luffy's shoulder. "If you want, you may have the day off to spend with your…_friend_."

The younger female arched a brow. "But what of your wedding planning?"

"Nami is more than enough help, and besides, I have most of it already finished." When she began to turn around, she added, "Just come back before Crocodile does and make sure to be safe." And with that, she continued down the path, leaving Luffy entirely free to spend what little time she had with Law.

As Luffy went down her own path to return to Law, she felt a tad bit giddy that Robin said the things she did. _She wasn't mean about it and she…she wanted me to be safe._ It felt nice, at that moment, to have such people in her life.

With hands deep in his pockets, Law turned to face her when she approached him, eyes full of curiosity and perhaps a bit of slight worry. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "I hope I didn't get you into any trouble…"

"No," Luffy quickly answered for him. "No, everything is fine—but, would you like to go somewhere else for us to talk?" _If I do tell him these things, I don't want Robin around to hear…_ "If…if you would like to go somewhere else with me, I mean…"

"I wouldn't mind," Law answered before glancing about. "But I don't know that many places to travel to in this city."

Luffy smiled softly. "There's a park nearby."

* * *

They had sat at a bench for over an hour, exchanging stories of what happened since last meeting. While Luffy left out all the bits of her interactions with Crocodile, she did share the news of his engagement.

"And you say that woman isn't too keen on marrying him?" Law questioned, slumping back in his seat. "I mean, I can understand where she's getting at, but why bother going through with the marriage if it's that terrible of an experience?"

"It isn't her choice," Luffy answered softly, casting her gaze aside when she caught a gaggle of geese waddle by. She was tempted to chase after them but remained still in her seat. "She says her mother had some prior arrangement with Crocodile, and that the marriage is just to _seal the deal._"

Law shrugged. "I'm not surprised then," he commented after a soft sigh. "That sort of thing is common among the rich. Some just don't get to pick their lovers." A smirk tugged at his lips. "Luckily for us, we don't suffer from such struggles."

A moment passed by between the two before Luffy decided to ask, "You're leaving at the end of summer, right?"

He nodded in response.

"Is it far away?"

Law met her stare. "It's near the west coast, so yes, it's far away."

She frowned to that. _He'll be moving so far away,_ she thought, upset at the thought. _Will it be worth it to start something only for him to leave by the end of summer? And when would he return…?_ "Do…do you think that if we ever got to that point, I could come with you?"

His expression relaxed, eyes blinking. "Come with me?" he repeated, tone surprised. "Would you want that?" he asked, a smile beginning to form. "It _would_ be interesting if you did tag along—it might be frowned upon, but I don't care about that sort of stuff." His arm rested upon the bench behind her back, fingers curling inward to touch her arm. "Why bring this up? Is everything alright?"

It was her turn to shrug. "I think life would be better on the west coast," she answered then. "Far away from everything and everybody." Pausing, she quickly added, "And I always wanted to go on an adventure of sorts."

He stiffened in his seat, eyes searching her face. "You're serious about this, aren't you?" When she nodded, his other hand reached out to brush the side of her face gently. "It's nice over there—I think you'll like it. It won't be all fun and games, though, since I have to focus all of my time on my education, but I think it'll be nice to have you around, to help me…"

"Is this us making a plan?" She couldn't help but ask, noticing how excited he became over such an idea. In all honestly, she was looking forward to doing such a thing—it wasn't like she hadn't moved in with strangers before. Almost a year ago, she left her home to go move in with a bunch of thieves—what harm could spending a year across the country with Law do?

If anything, Luffy would be traveling, seeing places she would have never seen on her own while gaining new experiences. And if Law and her just so happened to strike up a relationship, so be it—the cherry on top.

Cupping her cheek, Law drew his face in towards her, meeting her lips for the second time. His kiss was much softer than that of Crocodile's, less demanding but just as passionate. They were in equal dominance—none of them looking to outdo the other as her employer did so many times before. When he pulled away, his eyes revealed a look of happiness and excitement.

"What was that for?" she asked, the heat in her face growing once more.

"When I saw that excited look in your eyes as you talked about traveling with me, I couldn't help myself," he answered softly, hand falling from her cheek to touch her shoulder. "I thought it was the perfect moment."

Luffy's chest rose from a silent laugh. He made her embarrassed and happy and everything in between at the same time. "I'll have to repay you the favor one day," she murmured softly, watching a look of agreement cross his face. After another moment, Luffy decided to lean into him, eyes glazing past to glance towards the lake. "I like spending time with you," she admitted, smiling when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer.

"And I you," Law added. "Before, Corazon was the only bearable part about coming back to live with Doflamingo—but now, I'm finding something else to look forward too."

_Corazon?_ "Do you mean that man who was on fire?" She felt Law's chin touch her head as he nodded _yes_.

"Corazon took me in when I was just a child," Law explained, his chest rising and falling softly behind her. "He is the only real family I have, the only person I can talk to, to look to for advice…"

"Doflamingo seems fond of you," Luffy commented softly, happy to know that Law had somebody special in his life.

Law's grip on her arm tightened ever so slightly. "I despise him."

Frowning, she glanced up at him, taken aback by his sudden anger. "You do?" _Then…then why are you a part of his mob? He did mention that Corazon was Doflamingo's brother but…_

"I…" Meeting her gaze, his expression softened. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

Shifting in her seat, she tilted her head. "Tell you what?"

"What you were going to say earlier," he responded, sitting up in his own seat. "You seemed bothered, as if something is going astray in your life. If…if you open up to me, then I shall do the same."

She found herself tensing up, a fear creeping in. "If I tell you, will you promise me that you won't repeat it to another?"

Law's eyes widened, his hand taking hers gently. "I won't—_trust me_."

And Luffy did.

Inhaling a shaky breath, she decided to begin with Ace. Yes, she told herself that it was best to keep him safe, but perhaps confiding in Law would help her see things she didn't before. Maybe he had information from working with Doflamingo he could share. Surely, he would sympathize with her and her brother's dilemma wouldn't he?

"I have an older brother named Ace," she explained, gaze leaving his to fall upon their hands. "About two years ago, he fell into some trouble with some bad people…debt, mostly. The man who he is indebted to is known as Teach—a mob lord, I think."

Law nodded. "I've heard of that name before…"

"Yes," Luffy added. "He's the man that Doflamingo and Crocodile are teaming up to take down. And that's the reason why I'm working for Crocodile, so that I can send back information to my brother—he told me if I found something good enough, he might be able to get out of his troubles with Teach. That's all I want, for Ace to be safe."

"And have you found any information to feed back to him?"

She nodded. "A little bit. I know that the mayor of this town is involved with Crocodile somehow, and I know that Crocodile has a drug route coming in from Australia."

"Australia?"

She nodded and proceeded to tell him _all_ about the warehouse. She held nothing back in regards to that bit and even included—not going into _too _many specifics—of Crocodile's plans to team up with Hancock to backstab Doflamingo.

That left him silent for a long minute.

"I'm surprised," he admitted slowly. "Doflamingo has no idea," he added, eyes glancing away. "He thinks he's in the clear now teamed up with Crocodile and Hancock, but this…this changes everything. Do you know anything else?"

Luffy shook her head _no_, feeling a little bit better now that she had somebody to talk to. Keeping all that information boiled in like that left her an utter mess. "But," she slowly continued, afraid of doing so, "there's more than just finding information."

He cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

Swallowing, she exhaled and pulled her hand away from his to pick at her fingers. "This is going to be hard for me to explain, but it sort of involves you, or…it did at a point."

Law lowered his brows then, clearly confused. "Is something the matter?"

Licking her lips, Luffy nodded. "Well, again, it _was_ a problem, and I need you to know that it has stopped before I tell you."

"_**What **__has?"_

Luffy was on the verge of panic. She was _terrified_ of how he would react upon telling him, almost convinced he would instantly look at her with disgust. But at the same time, she wouldn't be able to go on with Law and their friendship—or even, relationship for that matter. _I should just try to ease him into it…_

"Uh, well, first," she began, words a mumbled mess, "I…I'm not a virgin." _We'll start with that and see how he reacts. Negatively, shut your mouth. Positively, continue on._

He smirked then, clearly amused. "Is that it?" he questioned, body relaxing. "I don't know why that should matter, but if it helps, I'm not one either." A slight frown formed. "But just that alone doesn't make sense with what you were starting with earlier…?"

She shook her head slowly. "There's more than just that," she answered, slightly relieved that he didn't seemed bother by the fact that she wasn't a virgin. Crocodile, on the other hand, was extremely insistent of such matters, while Law…_While Law doesn't seem to care about such things…_ "It's _who_ I lost it to that I think may be a problem."

A look of confusion crossed his eyes as he remained silent. After a second, his brows lowered, stare narrowed. And then, his expression morphed into shock. "Are you saying…? With _**him**_?" His tone had grown almost angry.

"I…he…" she tried to explain, too scared to spit out the words.

Law's eyes widened as he searched her stare. "Did he _**force**_ himself on you?" he questioned, hand grabbing her shoulder. "Is that why you want to leave with me?" His words grew in anger, his eyes revealing an inner disgust. "Luffy…" he began, his words falling short.

"Law," she responded firmly, realizing she needed to clean this up before it got any worse. "I went willingly—you deserve to know this if you wish to start something with me."

He tilted his head, lips forming a frown and he remained deadly silent. His hand pulled back from her shoulder.

"But I—_we_—haven't done that in almost two months now," she added, hoping to quickly fix the obvious wound. "I stopped it when I found out he was engaged—stopped it before I realized you were interested in me…"

Law got up, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his head. "This whole time…?" he started only to stop midway, eyes snapping back to look to her. "With him?" he said one more, as if not convinced.

"_But it stopped_," she answered again, guilt rising as she watched him pace back and forth. "And it won't happen again, especially now that I…"

Law stopped her with a hard expression. "_**Don't**_. I need to go back," he stated, tone angry and weak and everything that made Luffy's stomach twist. "I need to think this through, _alone_."

And as he left, Luffy called out his name, hoping he would stay. "Please understand!" she practically whined, angry with herself for letting the situation end up the way it did. Law didn't listen; he continued on his way, not offering her a single glance back.

_I've pushed both of them away now._

Luffy was more than just upset. Even if they weren't together in the way she and he talked about, she still considered Law a friend, and she just let him down. _Was it worth it then, to tell him the truth?_

_He must hate you now,_ her mind screamed, prompting her hands to shake. Getting up, she went in the opposite direction, back towards the mansion. _It was for the best_, she reminded herself, no matter how much it made her fell ill. _He deserved to know…_

_And if he wants nothing to do with me, then…then…_

Then she would have to learn how to deal with the sting. _It's obvious he wants nothing to do with me—he stormed off so angry, so disgusted. I knew telling him such things would do this…but…but I had to._ With Crocodile angry at her, she had Law to lean onto, and now with Law angry at her, who would she look to?

It was hard to bottle things up inside—she enjoyed expressing her feelings to others, hoping they could offer her advice. Law was the only person she could safely talk to about Crocodile, but look where that got her?

Alone and horribly saddened.

* * *

Luffy spent the rest of the day either in the park or wondering around the city. While she had little money on her—not enough to buy anything—doing as such was much better than returning back to the mansion. Robin had given her permission to have the day off, a rare occurrence, and while it was intentional meant to be spent with Law, she didn't want to waste the opportunity.

Of course the failed confession to Law still stung. Everything in her life seemed to be falling apart. She was upset about Ace and his situation. She was hurt at how easily Crocodile ignored her, and yes, a little desperate for his attention. There was guilt over what she did with Robin's fiancée. And she was angry with herself for upsetting Law.

It puzzled her to think of how happy she was just a little over a month ago. When did that change? What happened to trigger this oncoming assault of icky emotions and feelings?

_I was happy…happy when I was helping Ace…_

_Happy when I was in the arms of Crocodile…_

_Happy before Robin came along—it isn't her fault, but still…_

Luffy missed being happy, carefree, and adventurous. "_Be selfish,_" Crocodile had told her a month ago. Was that the advice she so desperately looked for? Being selfish to that degree was something she could never easily do.

It made her feel better to put others first, to help them even if it meant harming—mentally or physical—herself.

Yet, even after doing all of that, she still felt pained.

It was late evening by the time she decided to head back—too tired to walk anymore and too upset to think about her life. She just wanted to get the next few days over with. With Crocodile gone with Robin and the others for the week-long honeymoon on the islands, Luffy could spend said time packing and getting ready to leave.

_That's the best option as of right now,_ she figured as she slipped through the gate, earning only one coy glance from Daz before he returned his attention to the book he was reading.

"Late night stroll?" he questioned as she walked by, tone blank of any emotion.

Luffy shrugged, but did not answer.

"Well," he started, placing the book down on his lap to look her way again, "boss wants to see you in his room—sounded angry…you really do have a way with setting him off." Daz smirked then before returning back to his book, clearly amused whenever Luffy got in trouble.

While she was mentally and physically exhausted from the day, she had to admit she was curious as to why Crocodile would want to speak to her. It had been the first time he called upon her during the month and she couldn't help but wonder why the sudden change.

_He might just be ready to fire you,_ she thought as she took down the path towards the mansion front door. _The perfect ending to the perfect day._

It didn't matter: If he were going to fire her, she'd just have more time to go back home. _And with him doing it, then there should be no reason for him to get angry._

Entering the mansion, she went down the hall, stopping when she neared the dining room. Inside, she spotted Robin, Nami, Zoro, and another woman—older than Robin with white hair. They were talking, a blank look to Robin's face.

_That must be Robin's mother._ Shrugging, Luffy decided it wasn't her place to stare and continued down the hall and up the staircase. _I wonder how much of Robin's family will come tomorrow…and will any of Crocodile's? _She was always curious if the old man had any relatives, but never found the courage to ask.

Approaching his bedroom door, she lightly tapped on it twice, waiting for him to grant her permission to enter. Once he did so—voice tired and laced with frustration—she slipped in silently, eyes searching and finding him at his desk.

"Sit," he ordered without looking to her, pointing one finger at the chair across from her. As she took to the chair, feet crossing, he pushed aside a stack of papers only to grab a new one. "Where were you?" he asked then, still not looking her way as he wrote something down.

She glanced towards his bed, taking in the sloppy work of Nami. The maid was sweet and a good friend, but she did _not _fare well at cleaning up messes, such as making the bed. Or perhaps she did so on purpose to annoy the grouchy man? "Out," Luffy answered.

"_Where?"_

Glancing back to his desk, she dully added, "To a nearby park."

"_**All**__ day?_" he asked then. "In a park?"

"Yes," she responded, stiffening when he tossed his pen across the desk to slump back in his seat. His hard expression searched hers, prompting her to slink back into her own seat.

"You _truly_ expect me to believe that?" he questioned then, hand falling across his armrest. "And what gave you the idea you could leave the mansion for the day, hmm?"

"Robin gave me per…" She was cut midway as his hand formed a fist and took to slamming on the desktop. Her eyes widened in shock, tired state of mine now fully awake.

"Have I not told you already that she is _**not**_ your master?" he snapped, brows lowering as he took in her surprised features. As she remained silent, he continued on, one finger pointing her way. "If I recall correctly, it is _I_ who pays you, feeds you, allows you to sleep in _my_ mansion—and yet, here you are, sneaking around behind my back. Why is this so? Why do you take to that woman while so _easily_ dismissing your duties to me?"

Luffy cocked a brow, angry at his words. "_You dismissed me_," she shot back, sitting up in her seat to better look him in the eyes. "This entire month—you _replaced_ me…who else would I go to here if not you?" Pausing, she swallowed and quickly added, "I know it was wrong of me to strike you like I did, and I'm sorry for that, but don't get angry at me for doing my job and tending to Robin."

Shaking his head, he pushed back to his seat. "I didn't replace you," he objected, tone quieter than before.

Luffy huffed, crossing her arms. "You said I was _replaceable_ just before sending me away to have either Nami or Zoro help you out for an entire month." Frowning, she pushed a hand to her face to rub her tired eyes. "I don't understand…if that's not replacing, then what is?"

First it was Law, and now Crocodile was hounding her; she felt as if she were on the verge of breaking down right then and there.

He exhaled heavily before glancing away from her, lips forming a frown. "I distanced myself from you in hopes you would come to me—I figured that if constantly pressuring you into returning to my side didn't work, I'd do the opposite." His gaze slowly found its way back to her. "Obviously, that didn't work either."

Sniffing a little, she pulled her hand away to ask, "You're not angry with me for hitting you?"

He rolled his eyes, fingers reaching up to touch his cheek. "It was a s_cratch_—and yes, while I was initially pissed off that you had the nerve to hit me, I got over it. You'll have to do more than that for me to truly hate you."

While a smile tried to form on her face, she fought it back. It was nice—_relieving_—to know he wasn't angry at her for that, a little bit of the pressure on her shoulders now dissolving.

"But," he started then, earning her full attention, "in our month _apart_, I've come to understand your _side _of the situation."

Relaxing her expression, she leaned forward and asked, "You do?"

He nodded once. "You've clearly grown close to the woman—something I can't fathom as to _why_—but you don't want to hurt her, yes? And you think that by coming to me will do as such, yes?"

Luffy nodded, happy that he was finally putting it all together.

"Being the young and naive creature you are, you've yet to master the art of fighting off guilt—that I can understand, I suppose." Pausing, he ran his hand through his hair to slick back a fallen lock. "While I cannot stop this wedding from happening tomorrow, I did have a talk with Robin about such matters."

Her eyes widened in fear. "You told her…?"

He shook his head _no_. "No, I didn't, but I did tell her that I had no intentions of making this marriage work, and she agreed to as such. I informed her that she may look to another for comfort while married to me, so that she may be happy, and that I may be able to do the same."

"And…and she agreed to this?" _When did he talk to her about all of this…?_ Luffy never realized how understanding he could be; she always assumed that he didn't care for Robin's happiness, yet, now, here he was.

"Of course she did," he answered firmly. "We'll play the part of man and wife for her mother and our social circles, but alone, we'll each be left to our own personal lives." Pausing, he leaned forward in his seat and added, "But you _**can't**_ tell her that you know all this—she doesn't know about us. I think that might be ill of taste if she did, and you wouldn't want to spoil your special friendship, right?" Crocodile offered his hand out to her across the desk. "It's been almost two months now, come back to me, where you _belong._"

She lifted her hand hesitantly, stopping to clutch it to her chest. "And Robin is completely fine with this arrangement?"

Crocodile offered her a soft smile and sweetly said, "_Yes._"

Luffy's heart fluttered, her mind starting to go blank. It felt amazing to be wanted again, to have somebody she cared for look to her with such eyes. In just a handful of minutes, Crocodile managed to wash away all the terrible feelings she had deep down inside.

_He wants you._

_You were happy with him._

_Law is angry and most likely gone; go with what you have already._

Chewing on her inner cheek, she slowly pulled her hand away from her chest and placed it to Crocodile's, feeling the warmth of his fingers wrap around her flesh.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"I always knew you'd come back to me," he stated before arising and taking to her side of the desk. He gave her arm a tug and drew her up against him. "You have no idea how difficult it's been for me all this time, to not have you there by my side…" His hand slid up her waist to stop at the side of her bust. "I've missed you."

Before Luffy had the chance to say that she felt the same way, he drew his mouth to hers, hungrily searching her lips with his. He was quick to dominate, to taste her and run his fingers through her hair. When he pulled away, he stated once more between breaths, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you as well," she responded softly, watching as he slide stacks of papers and random trinkets aside on his desk. A small exhale escaped her when he pulled her back and onto the desk, hand pressing hers above her head.

"We need to make up for lost time," he said, amusement in his tone. "We've fallen behind and I fear I might not have time to devote to you within the upcoming week." His lips fell to her jaw, tracing her flesh and sending a fire down to her center.

"Now?" she asked after a whiny breath as his hand slid under her skirts. "What if they hear us? Or…or…" She had to bite down hard on her bottom lip when his fingers found her center.

"They won't, as long as you don't cry out too much," he responded as he entered her with two digits. A smile came to him then, as if happy to be somewhere familiar. "I've missed you so much," he stated once more against her neck before kissing it. "You are utterly perfect in so many ways when compared to that lot."

His thumb pressed forward, rubbing that sensitive bundle of nerves and prompting her to squeeze her thighs together. She couldn't respond—if she did, she was sure she would only end up squealing in the end.

"Those servants of hers?" he stated then, face pulling back so he could look into her eyes. "They're useless—couldn't do a _damn_ thing right. And that woman?" Anger flashed across his face, his fingers pushing farther in. "She is utterly repulsive and it is an insult that I be settled with her as a wife. Old and _used_…another man's sloppy leftovers."

He pulled his hand out from between her legs, moving it to the buttons of her bust. Undoing them, he added, "You're different from them—pure, innocent, and _mine_. Even if she is to be my wife, never considered her above you."

_None of this should matter anymore,_ she thought, but didn't say. As he pulled her uniform open to reveal her chest, she placed her hand over her mouth to hide her whines as he took her breast to his mouth. _He said they made an arrangement, so why bring all of this up?_ The thought left her mind quickly when he nudged her thighs apart with his hips.

Quickly, he pulled back from her chest to undo his pants, leaning forward afterwards to meet her warm and slick center. Luffy was ready for him. After almost two months, she was more than ready.

The act only lasted a couple of minutes, with him finishing inside of her and her failing to reach orgasm. And it didn't bother her much that she didn't do so—she was just happy to feel him again as such, to feel wanted and beautiful and needed.

Still inside her, his lips found hers as his hand ran through her hair. "This is how it should always be," he whispered when he pulled out of her, hand sliding down to give her breast one last squeeze. "_Nobody_ will ever get in between us."

That night, she stayed by his side, deep within the covers of his bed. He had his arm wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him. "_Sleep comes easier to me with you here,_" he had told her before drifting off.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Crocodile back story, from ages 5 – 46.

* * *

**A/N2: **Just an FYI, this version of Crocodile will do &amp; _***say***_ anything to get what he wants, and let's just say what he really wanted was Luffy. SO perhaps _making up_ a story about a certain arrangement was required in order to woo/trick Luffy back to him~~ :O

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Kirayamapi:** Yeah, and don't let this chapter discourage you from believing Law won't show up again, because he will. He just needs to go have a nice long chat with Corazon to figure things out. Thanks for reading!

**Cereza101:** All possible choices, of course. But as of now, she stayed with Crocodile (because she believes Law is angry/disgusted with her &amp; Crocodile is the only thing she knows). But that doesn't mean the Croco/Luffy pairing is set in stone now for this story, oh no, not at all. There's still more over the top drama to cover haha. Thanks for reading!

**Starlight555:** Awww! You're killing me here with all your kind words! I'm so happy you enjoy reading this fic so much! It's super flattering when readers say such wonderful things. And I know Luffy kinda broke down/didn't stand her ground in this chapter, but again, I'm going to have her fully break down to build her up—I mean, she certainly won't be happy if she found out a certain old man lied about a certain arrangement~~~ Thanks for voting! And for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Awww, thanks! I'm starting to try to make them out where Robin is more of a motherly figure (as well as a friend). Mama!Robin is just so adorable &amp; I just love the idea of her being super protective and puffing out her feathers whenever something bad comes along to hurt her little strawhats. Yes, *when, because she does* Robin finds out about it, it will be a very difficult time in their friendship. Ace finding out will be towards the end of the second half, and I can't really go into details without ruining future plot, so I apologize for being so vague. As for Dragon, I feel I can go more into detail with him without ruining anything. He's alive, and there, just not living with Garp (he's living on his own). Sometimes, Luffy will go visit him, but their relationship is strained. Dragon finding out about her and Crocodile wouldn't be as dramatic as say Ace finding out. You're *very very very* close as to who the "K" person is…Kid (not "K") will also show up second half, more in regards towards Law than Crocodile. Luffy trusts Law, but, uh, well, we'll see if Law is truly trustworthy or not. He has a whole backstory as well, with his own personal goals and own struggles with a certain blonde flamingo.

Oh, I'm super impressed at how much you're studying on your own. There's so much to the Middle Eastern culture, so it's cool you're looking into it as a *hobby* While every culture has it's rough spots, there is so much beauty and adventure to that said region, so I bet you come across some wild and amazing stories/facts along your studies! :D Anyway, thank you so much for reading!


	24. Crocodile

***All the new characters mentioned in this story are made up and will not appear again in future chapters—they are just here to serve the purposes of the flashback.**

***I also only kept to major events that would shape Crocodile's personality; so while I failed to write interactions with Doflamingo/Iceberg/etc. (such as them meeting for the first time or something like that), it did happen. This chapter was already too long to add in such scenes D:**

**Warning:** There is a theme of abuse (mental &amp; physical) and the manipulation of a child throughout the chapter. Chapter is typically more violent than the others, since I cover the missing hand and scar and such.

There are also mentions of rape as well—not with a child, but rape nonetheless. If you wish to avoid reading about _this_ particular subject, then skip over the section of the chapter written under "Age 13," and continue on with the next section, labeled "Age 16."

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Crocodile

**1865 ~ Age 5**

All around him smelt of death.

The shack was meant to house the soldiers wounded from war, limp bodies constantly being carried in. The nurses and doctors would never look his way—he was just a tiny thing, wondering about with curious eyes. Sometimes, if at the right spot and time, he'd catch them hauling off another corpse to dump in the hole outside.

The first time he saw one, he cried and ran into the arms of his mother. And with her weak hands and soft cheeks, she'd draw him in close, whispering words of how they were heading off somewhere better.

Each day more and more men came.

There were cries, moans, and harsh curses between heavy pants each and every way—he'd cover his ears each time he heard one because his mother always said such words weren't nice to say. There were times where he would strike up a conversation with one of the soldiers, some telling him about the battles and the destruction of the government, others screaming on and on about the pain.

Crocodile didn't like it there and wanted to go back home, but his mother had to stay.

Carrying a wet cloth, he scurried back to the corner room, holding his breath when an elderly fellow soiled himself in the hallway. The back rooms were meant for the sick, those who weren't there because of the war, so while there was less blood and guts, there was more filth and snotty humanly fluids.

He approached the only cot that mattered, pressing the cloth to the woman's forehead. Her flesh was a deathly pale, eyes blood-shot and lips ajar to allow ragged breaths to escape. When she looked his way, body so stiff, she tried to muster up a smile, only failing to do so and coughing.

"_Mother_," he'd say softly, repeating it over and over again as he took her hand between his own. "The doctor is going to see you today—he promised, remember?"

The woman only fluttered her eyes shut, fingers weakly pressing against his palm.

"Don't go to sleep," he ordered her, trying his best to stay strong. She told him the first day she went to the shack for him to always remain strong. "He'll come soon, just wait."

The doctor arrived two hours later, once white shirt now covered in blood and vomit and other fluids Crocodile had no recollection of. At his arrival, he quickly sat up, fingers squeezing his mothers to awaken her gently.

A nurse entered afterwards, grim of face and obviously tired. Approaching the cot, she offered him only one quick glance before pushing him aside to tend to his mother. "She came in about two weeks ago—her condition grows worse every day."

The old man nodded, sniffed, and poked one boney finger under his mother's chin. "Skin is ghastly," he commented quietly, thumb pulling her chin downwards to open her mouth. "Gums bloody and teeth—what left of them—rotted." Removing his hand, he glanced down at the bucket by her cot, filled with her bile. "Blood in the vomit."

The nurse pulled back her cover and took to rising her shirt up. "She has flesh wounds as well—pus-filled sores and bruises."

The doctor yawned as he glanced to a nearby window. With a shrug, he gestured towards the hallway. "Not much to be done here," he determined, turning around as the nurse quickly placed the covers back over the ill woman. Heading back for the hall, he simply said, "We need to focus on the wounded men right now."

Angry, Crocodile left his mother's side, following after them as they took to the hallway. At the entrance, he—at that moment—wanted to scream and order them to go back to tending to his mother. Yet, all he could do was hold his tongue.

"She's caught a whore's disease," the doctor mentioned to the nurse as they stopped midway down the hallway before the old man who soiled himself. "There is no hope for her—she got what she deserved."

The nursed nodded and proceeded to stretch her arms out. "Should we leave her be or kick her out for another to come in?"

The doctor shook his head _no_. "No need," he answered. "She will die within the week, no doubt about that."

Crocodile's hand took to the door frame, fingers digging into the wood. The tears came easily then, his stomach knotting up. _She won't die if they __**help**__ her! __**Why **__won't the help her?_ His lips trembled then and as he tried to vocalize his thoughts, all that came out were strange whimpers and half cries.

The doctor heard him, turning his way and cocking a furry brow. "Where did this child come from?" he questioned as he looked back to the nurse.

She glanced his way, tilted her head, and nodded once. "That woman's _son_."

The old man nodded, expression relaxing before turning back around. "He doesn't belong here—might catch the flux. Remove him as soon as you can."

When the nurse sent Crocodile a hard look, he quickly ran back inside the room and back to his mother's side, pressing the now dried cloth to her face to wipe away the sweat. "I'll take care of you, mother," he whispered to her between sniffs, the tears pooling down his cheeks. _If they won't save you, __**I **__will._

His mother died four hours later and her body was dumped in the hole with the others.

* * *

**1869 ~ Age 9**

The cold streets made his body shiver.

His stomach screamed at him for food, a pain deep down inside as he hurried down the alleyway wearing ragged clothes and worn out shoes. If he was quick enough, he could snatch food money up as the rich scrambled about town. None of them ever noticed him, as tiny as he was, and if one ever did, it was always because of his smell.

He had a job, once, when he was seven, hauling around and collecting coal. The man in charge with his large belly and grey mustache fired him after a month, claiming he worked too slowly. Crocodile remembered, at that young age, pleading for another chance—he was given a single penny and sent a long his way.

So, in desperation, he turned to pick-pocketing. It was difficult to learn at first, always so nervous to stick his shaky hands into the pockets—his victim always felt him those days; however, he'd never stick around long enough to get caught, learning to rely on running away fast in order to survive.

But after a few weeks, he got the hang of it.

Sniffing, he barreled out into the open street, eyes darting back and forth as he scrambled about the crowds, searching for the right person to rob. There were old ladies and young men—sweet eyed maids and foolish looking lords—and even the occasional servant. This was the shopping quarters of the middle to higher classes, plump and rich for the taking.

Of course, there were also poor beggars and side-street entertainers sprinkled about, which allowed him enough relief to believe none would look his way suspiciously. He was just a poor looking boy, with soft features that made him appear unworthy of attention.

Pushing through the crowd, he found a man of wealth just around the corner, eyes hard set forward and lips forming a firm line. He sported nice fabrics and beautiful rings—that man was the one, Crocodile's dinner ticket for the day.

Holding his breath, he gave a quick once over of the surroundings—there didn't appear to be anybody in relations to the old man nor did there seem to be many around to catch him in the act. An easy heist, all in all.

Exhaling softly, he scurried over to the side of a building, inching his way closer and closer to the old man while trying to keep his facial expression calm. Sporting the face of a hungry wild beast would only draw attention to himself. His only goal was to slip his hand in, fish out as much as he could, and then slip away into the shadows of the alleys.

Luckily, the man was facing away, arms crossed and pants pockets ripe for the picking. As Crocodile drew closer to the man, he began to flex his left fist—the hand he always used for robbing. It was easier to work that hand, to slip it in and out unnoticed. He reached the hand forward, towards the pocket, and pressed his finger in, just brushing the top of paper—mostly likely a bill.

With widened eyes, Crocodile pushed his thumb in, fingers clasping down and then pulling and—

Someone snatched his wrist, tugging his arm up high and lifting his body only a tad. "Little shit!" the person snarled, eyes glaring. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, eh?"

Crocodile glanced up at the new stranger, taking in his grim expression and beady eyes. He was much younger than the old man, but his voice was deep and throaty, sending a fear down Crocodile's spine. When he went to kick at his captor, he was shoved aside to the ground, face meeting a rough patch of dirt.

"What's all this?" the old man questioned, turning around to eye the younger male and then Crocodile. His brow arched, a scar that ran through it dancing as he made said movement. "Explain," he ordered, glancing back to the other man.

"Caught him picking your pocket, I did, sir," the younger male explained, shoving one hand behind his neck. "Little shit, he is, trying to make off with your money." His other hand slipped inside his suit pocket, quickly drawing out a knife, prompting Crocodile to back up a foot or so. "Mind if I teach him a lesson, sir? Stupid bastard here thinking he can just rob _anyone_."

The older male stopped him with a dismissing wave of his hand. "_That _won't be necessary, Thomas." Pausing, he flicked his stare down upon Crocodile, tilting his head slightly. Uncrossing his arms, he asked, "_Well?_"

A long moment passed as Crocodile tried to figure out if he was addressing him. Lowering his brows, he glanced between the old man and the younger male known as Thomas, heart pounding in his chest. When he finally gave his full attention to the first, he cocked his head slightly.

"Are you not going to apologize?" the older male asked, expressing an unimpressed look. "You were caught, boy—the least you could do is just that."

Swallowing, Crocodile gave a stiff nod before muttering up a weak apology. While this older male didn't seem to pose a threat, the thought of that knife lingered in his mind, making him want to bolt for it. But fear kept him still.

Scratching at his chin, the older male shrugged and glanced about before questioning, "Do you do this sort of thing often, child? Rob from the rich?"

"Do you even know who you _**were**_ robbing?" Thomas asked then, tone harsh and high pitched. His hand was clenching the knife, sunlight reflecting off its smooth surface and hitting Crocodile's eyes, prompting him to quickly shake his head _no_. Thomas did a slow roll of the eyes, gaze flickering over to the old man. "Don't waste your time on the lad, sir—I'll cut that pretty little face of his up nice and good, teach him a lesson, I will."

Waving his hand once more, the man stressed, "Thomas, _stop_, I can handle the situation perfectly on my own." Returning his curious stare to Crocodile's, he proceeded to ask, "Where'd you learn to pick pockets like that? If it weren't for Thomas here, I wouldn't even have noticed."

Inhaling deeply, Crocodile glanced down to his shoes, brows lowering. He didn't like that these men were pestering him, asking all these questions, and he definitely did not appreciate the fact that that man Thomas had a knife on him.

_But that old guy told him to stop…?_

Was it safe? To stay there and talk?

_Or should I just try running?_

When Thomas cleared his throat, Crocodile snapped his attention back up, lips forming a soft frown. "I learned on my own," he answered softly, rapid breathing now calming down.

The old man nodded, expression almost pleased and arms crossing over his chest. "And I assume you live on your own?"

"Smells like he do, sir," Thomas answered before turning to spit. "Probably carrying a disease for all we know."

The old man shook his head slowly, ignoring his companion's comments. "Speak, and make it quick—I don't have all day."

Balling up his fists, Crocodile nodded before bending in his knees. "I live on the streets, by myself." His gaze darted over to Thomas when he snickered, but remained mute after that. "I'm sorry for trying to rob you; please don't turn me in! I promise I won't do it again, I _swear _it!

The man blinked, a smirk coming to his lips. "Look at him go, alive and fighting for his life," he commented, turning to Thomas. "Fetch the carriage—we'll bring him back with us."

Thomas cocked a brow, lips forming a fat frown. "Sir?" he questioned as they shared a long look, as if communicating without sharing a single word. After a moment, he nodded, glanced down at Crocodile, shook his head, and turned around. He tucked his knife away as he headed down the street.

Standing up, Crocodile took another step back, eyes widening when the old man looked his way again. "Where…where are you going to take me?" he asked in a whisper, fingers clinging at the hem of his dirty shirt. While he _was_ still afraid of Thomas and the situation, he found himself curious as well.

The man offered him a simple smile. "To my mansion, for dinner. You must be hungry, no?"

Crocodile lowered his brows, surprised at the answer. _Dinner…? _He felt the corners of his lips lift upwards, an excitement starting to build deep in his stomach. "Really?"

The man nodded, turning when the sound of horse hooves came to life nearby. "You'll be my guest, boy. A poor child like you doesn't deserve the cruelty of the streets." When the carriage stopped before them, Thomas sitting beside the driver, the old men went for the door, cocking a glance back at the young boy. "Come, now."

Hunger lead him to follow.

* * *

The mansion was the biggest Crocodile ever saw in his short eight years of life—of course, that was considering he didn't see many to begin with, but the one before him at that moment left him speechless enough.

Pressing his face to the window, he found himself smiling. "You live here?" he questioned happily, glancing back at the old man sitting across from him.

With a warm smile, he nodded. "I had it built thirty years ago—in honor of my wife, after she passed on."

Blinking, Crocodile sat back down, hands clasping together over his lap. "My mother died," he stated then, unsure why. He felt that he could share such information—besides the boys he worked alongside in the coal mines, he told nobody of his mother. "She got sick."

A slight frown formed on the man's face. "I am sorry to hear that." When the carriage came to a halt, he glanced back to the window. "Before dinner, you will bathe—I will not tolerate filth dining at my table."

Crocodile tensed up at his comment, becoming almost embarrassed. After months of living on the streets, he had become immune to the smell of his own stench.

The door opened and the old man hopped out, Thomas sending one hard pressed glare inside the carriage at Crocodile. "Have Tsuru draw a bath for the boy, Thomas."

A snarl of a response came to life in the young man's throat, eyes narrowing as he nodded for Crocodile to get out. "I don't like you," he whispered to the boy as he went, hand pressing to his shoulder to hurry him along. "Don't think you'll get off easy; no lad, that ain't going happen 'round here."

Crocodile glanced at him once before pulling away from the carriage, unsure of what he meant by that. The older male made it out as if he wasn't in trouble—he was actually quite nice in some ways. But that Thomas fellow, he left a bad feeling in his gut.

"Come along now, just don't stand there staring," Thomas snapped as he pushed by him to head towards the mansion. Upon entering the mansion, the man headed straight down the hall towards a group of maids—one young, perhaps in her mid-adolescence, another slightly older, and the third most likely late in her years, showing the signs of a few wrinkles.

"Tsuru, boss wants you to clean this one," Thomas ordered, tone softer as he approached the older woman. "He's to be our _guest_ for the evening."

The old woman—Tsuru—cocked a thin brow as her soft gaze bypassed Thomas to find Crocodile's. "Does the young master wish anything else?"

Thomas shrugged, pushing past her to approach the younger of the maids. "Don't know—just wants him cleaned up good for dinner." He drew his hand up to touch the young maid's cheek briefly, smirking when she tensed away from his caress. "Make sure he doesn't smell—I'm tired of having to breathe through my mouth." And with that, he left down the hall, humming a strange tune.

The other two maids disappeared soon after and Crocodile was left alone in the hallway with the old woman, her gaze hard on him. Folding her hands together upon her lower abdomen, she gave him a graceful bow before gently stating, "I am Tsuru, a maid of this estate."

Swallowing, he gave a stiff nod in response, uncomfortable with her formalities. "I'm…I'm Crocodile," he offered softly, tilting his head when the woman arose.

"Like the animal?" she questioned, expression curious.

He found himself smiling. "Like the animal."

* * *

The water was lukewarm—not warm enough to be satisfying, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Crocodile sat naked inside the tub, embarrassed as the old woman scrubbed at his arm. While old in appearance, she had a vice grip on her, fingers holding onto his thin wrist tightly as she scraped the sponge up and down his arm.

"When was the last you bathed, child?" Tsuru practically gasped, expression hard as she tried to scrub away the dirt. "You're _absolutely_ filthy!"

It was uncomfortable to have the old maid wash him as such—the last person to bathe him had been his mother, just a week before they left for that shack. "I can do it by myself," he muttered, wincing when water splashed up at his face.

She huffed in response, clearly not convinced. "If you could, you wouldn't be as dirty as you are now," she shot back, running the sponge up to his neck. "Is that _soot_ under your jaw there?"

By the time the bath was finished—Crocodile _completely_ cleaned, head to toe—the water had grown icy cold. Wrapped up in a towel, he stood shaking in the corner of the bathroom as Tsuru opened the door to let the younger maid inside.

This younger maid—face full of soft features and wide innocent eyes—only appeared a few years older than him. She had a bundle of clothes in her arms, eyes glancing over to meet his briefly before looking up to Tsuru. "This is all the groundskeeper had to spare from his son's clothing," she stated softly, handing the clothes off to the older woman.

"Very well," Tsuru answered before gesturing out the door. "Go and help set the tables now, and be quick about it."

The young maid offered Crocodile one last glance before smiling and scurrying out, the door slamming behind her.

"These clothes may be a loose on you, but it's the closest we have to your size," she explained as she placed the clothes aside on a sink counter. She proceeded to take the shirt, shaking it out and eyeing it before glancing to him. "It should do well enough," she figured as she headed towards him.

* * *

The warm food slithered down his throat, his tongue greedily gulping down chunks quickly. It was by far the yummiest roast he ever had in his young life, eyes glistening almost as much as the simmering meat. He ate with a fork and his fingers, tearing and chewing and smiling wide as his eyes never left his plate.

And as he finished his serving, another round was offered to him.

Juice ran down the side of his lips and he wiped it with the back of his hand, never noticing the old man watching him intently.

"Is it that good?" the owner of the estate questioned, amusement in his voice.

When Crocodile snapped his attention to him, he swallowed down the food in his mouth and nodded, fingers gripping his fork tightly. "I like it a lot," he answered, eyes drifting back to his plate. He loved it all, actually. The texture and taste beyond imagine.

_And he gets to eat like this every day._

Stale bread and foodless nights could _**never**_ compare to this life style.

The old man nodded once before returning his attention to his own meal, gently cutting a slice of his roast. "Do you like my mansion as well?"

Crocodile happily nodded, sticky fingers reaching out for his drink. After a gulp, he said, "It's very nice." Wiping his mouth clean with the back of his wrist, he added, "I like it here."

The old man offered him a warm smile, clearly pleased with his answer. "That is nice to know," he responded, placing his fork and knife down before arising. "I would like to show you something, if you wouldn't mind."

Pouting only slightly, Crocodile glanced down to his unfished second serving and the old man gave a light laugh.

"There'll be more of that later," the man cheerfully explained. "Come, wipe your face clean and follow me to my office—I would like to discuss something with you." He turned then, attention drifting over to the man waiting outside in the hall. "Thomas, go fetch the doctor, if you wouldn't mind, and have him wait outside my office until I have need of him."

"Yes, sir," Thomas answered, peering inside to glance Crocodile's way. When they locked eyes, a smirk formed.

* * *

He followed the man in, blinking in the darkness. Moments later, candles upon the walls were alit, allowing the small office to come to life. "Mind your step, it is still dark in here," the man explained as he neared the back of the room, towards a desk before closed curtains. After a moment, he drew them open, allowing the light from the moon and stars to shine in.

Crocodile ran his hand through his hair to scratch his scalp as he watched the old man move about the office. He went to a closet, opened it, and revealed a blanket. Curiously, he took a step forward to see what he was going to do with such an item.

"I'm glad I met you today, Crocodile," the man began as he took to the middle of the office, spreading out the blanket upon the floor. "You see, in my late years, I've found myself facing a rather serious problem."

As the man straightened out the blanket, Crocodile softly asked, "What?"

With a brief laugh, the man glanced up to him and happily said, "I'll get to that soon enough—allow me time to explain myself first." Standing up, he took a moment to breathe—clearly out of breath from that simple task. "Now, where was I? Hmm, oh, yes—my problem: Now, you may not understand this being the young lad you are, but before my wife passed, she was unable to give me a child." Pausing, he turned towards his desk, and then towards the corner of the room, brows arching as he went for a small table and chair. "I've always wanted one—a son, particularly—to carry on my legacy."

Picking up the table, he turned and offered Crocodile a smirk. "Never got one—and that wasn't from lack of trying. Even after her passing, I looked to others, hoping _somebody_ would give me what I desired, but unfortunately, that never happened." Setting the table down, he took a moment to inhale and exhale deeply. "Don't worry though—I've accepted the fact that I will never have a son of my own flesh and blood. It simply was not meant to be for me; however, that doesn't mean I can't take in an heir."

"An heir?" Crocodile repeated, unsure of what the word meant.

"Somebody to…to basically run things for me around here when I die," the old man answered softly before turning back around to fetch the chair. "Somebody to continue the legacy I spent so many years setting up."

When he placed the chair before the table, he smiled and gestured for Crocodile to sit. "Would you like some chocolates?" Approaching the desk before the window, he took to picking up a bowl of some, waving it before Crocodile. "Please, have some," he offered, placing the bowl upon the table.

Greedily, the younger male went for the bowl, sitting crossed legged on the chair and happily picking out the biggest piece. Candies were rare for Crocodile—he couldn't even remember the last he ate something sweet.

Leaning back on his desk, the man continued. "What is it that you think I do?" he asked, tilting his head only slightly.

Crocodile—chewing—shrugged, unsure.

"Well," the man answered for him softly, "it sort of involves what you tried to do to me earlier today."

Blinking, the boy glanced up to him, halting his jaw movements. Confused, he swallowed what was in his mouth and parted his lips to speak, but no words came out.

"Robbing others," the man continued, pushing himself away from the desk to head over to a fireplace. A sword—one oddly shaped with a slight curve—was propped up on a wall above it. Pressing a forearm to a fireplace ledge, he smiled and glanced back at Crocodile. "And other things," he added quietly. "I run a business, really, one where I benefit the most, obviously. The world consists of three types of people, do you know this?"

Crocodile shook his head, hands falling to his lap.

Exhaling, the man turned his attention up towards the sword. "One type is my kind—the ones who manipulate the world to their benefits: thieves, criminals, mobsters, murders, politicians, and so own. The second type is the ones who oppose the first: heroes, soldiers, rebels, warriors, if you will. And the third…" Pausing, a laugh escaped him as he shook his head. "And the third type is everybody else: the naïve and weak, unable to do anything, really."

When the man stopped talking, Crocodile gave a stiff nod, not really understanding what he was trying to get at. So, he figured he'd return to his bowl of treats, hand reaching out to grab another chocolate.

"What type are you?"

Crocodile glanced up at him, cocking a tiny brow. When he made no means to respond, the man smiled and turned back towards the fire place, silently taking the sword off its rack.

"If you so desire it, I can turn you into _my_ type, the first kind," he said then, balancing the weapon—still sheathed—in his hand. "You'll never have to worry about food again, a _home_ to call your own…a family. Would you like that?"

Pressing his left hand flat on the table, Crocodile scratched at his cheek with the other, curious. "You want me to live here?" he asked then.

The man gave a slight nod. "More than just that, though. I want to train you, allow you to join my clan, and if you prove your worth, I might even take you as my heir." He drew the weapon out, placing the sheath upon his desk and causing Crocodile's stare to widen. "I got this on my travels in Europe—somewhere you may be able to go to if you stay."

"It's shiny," Crocodile murmured softly, resting his right hand on his lap.

"Would you like to join my clan then?" the man asked, cocking a brow as well as a thin smile. "All of this could be yours one day, would you like that?"

Licking his lips, Crocodile slowly questioned, "And I'll get to live here?" _In this mansion with all this food and servants?_ The offer was beyond believable, prompting his heart to race in excitement. In just a few mere hours, his whole life had changed, from poor to rich. A smile came to him, and as he glanced up to the old man, he happily added, "Alright."

"Wonderful, wonderful," the old man practically sang, approaching the table. "But—and you must understand this—in order for me to hand over my legacy, you must first give me something."

Blinking, Crocodile mouthed out, "What?"

"As my potential…_son_, I cannot allow you to go unpunished for your earlier actions," he answered, meeting Crocodile's confused stare dead on. His once happy expression dissolved into a hard look. "It's just how things are done around here."

And before Crocodile even had the chance to question the man farther, the sound of bone and wood snapping filled the room.

Pain followed, white spots appearing before his eyes. His gaze fell to the sword wedged into the table before him, watching as his hand roll away.

And he screamed.

* * *

The maids changed his bandages daily in the weeks to follow. Pain never left him, no matter how hard he tried to will it away, and as he lay in the depths of his small cot, he found his mind going numb most days.

Almost every morning he'd awaken and expect to find his hand there, only to discover ugly stained bandages. Sometimes, if he stayed still enough and allowed his mind to go blank, he could _feel _it, that hand he once had. But of course, he'd remember the pain and cry and the maids would offer him words of sympathy.

"The doctor says the pain will die soon," the youngest would whisper to him softly, pressing a damp cloth to his forehead.

He had caught a fever the week of the incident, and she barely left his side.

"Just rest and try not to think about it," she added, holding his hand—his _only_ hand.

During the afternoons, Tsuru would come and read to him—telling him stories of knights and dragons and maidens over and over again. When he would vomit, she would clean him, making sure to be gentle and understanding. When his bandages grew foul smelling, she would hold her breath and change them, offering him comforting smiles and soft caresses across the cheek.

And when he would cry at the ugly disfigured mess that was his wrist, she would sit beside him, hand running through his hair until he fell into the embrace of sleep.

Besides the maids and the doctor, the only other one to visit him was Thomas, surprisingly enough. He came the first morning, offering the boy a deep smirk as his eyes observed the bloodied stump intently as it was tended to by the doctor. "Told you that you wouldn't get away with being a little shit," he told him, coughing afterwards from the smell. "But you one of us now, I suppose, so heal up fast and the real fun will begin."

He didn't visit after that.

By the third week, Crocodile was strong enough to leave his cot. Of course, he didn't go far, always growing faint from the constant dull throb. The youngest maid—Milly, he had eventually learned—would follow him around, ordered by the old man to do as such. "Are you feeling alright?" she would constantly ask him, offering him a helping hand whenever he became dizzy.

When Tsuru wasn't around, Milly was. The girl would dress him—and while he was shy and embarrassed from such, he never objected. She had soft hands and a gentle touch. And when he was strong enough to bathe, she told him not to act strange because it was her job to help.

After that, he had grown to rely on her greatly.

Sometimes, Milly would sit by him on his cot and listen to Tsuru's stories. Other times, she would lie beside him in the middle of the night and tell him lies about how things would get better. Once, she confided in him about Thomas and how he came into her room one night.

Crocodile didn't understand and when he told her as such, she never brought it up again.

* * *

**1871 ~ Age 11**

Thomas led him down a dark hallway, not offering him a single ounce of conversation. It was his first time tagging along—the old man had specifically requested his presence.

In his three years living at the mansion, gaining an education, learning proper etiquette and formal speaking, and assisting the old man however he could, Crocodile was finally allowed to see what it was _really_ like working in a mob.

From the tales Thomas would give on lazy afternoons, he expected to find mountains of cash and piles of weapons and other stolen goods. Of course, he knew there were fights and shoot outs involved in such a thing, but the old man had told him he wasn't exactly ready for that yet.

Holding his breath, he followed Thomas into a room, blinking when he took in the scene. In the middle stood the old man—cheerful, like always—and a few others he recognized as other members of the clan. Behind them, oddly, was a person on their knees, a bag over their head.

Cocking a brow, he glanced up at Thomas first, and then over to the old man, taking in his smile. "Crocodile, come here," the old man ordered, gesturing to his side. "It's time you finally start growing up."

He brought his stump to his chest before looking back at the strange person. Silently, he took to the man's side, watching as he pulled out a hand gun from a hidden holster under his suit top.

"You've lived with us for quite some time now, Crocodile," the old man began, pulling the revolver out to study the bullets. "And so you should know a lot about the sort of things we do, correct?"

Nodding, Crocodile softly said, "Yes, sir…but…" His gaze returned back to the person in the back, confused as to what was happening. _Why…why is does that person have a bag over his head?_

He mentally asked the question, but deep down inside, he already knew.

"There are certain things you must learn to do in this line of work," the old man explained firmly as he snapped the revolver shut. Glancing down, he offered a warm smile and pushed the gun to Crocodile's hand. "Today, you will learn one of these things."

Widening his stare, he glared at the heavy weapon, sweaty fingers wrapping around the handle. His heart felt as if it stopped at that moment. It wasn't his first time holding a gun—he had done so many times before, practicing his shooting with the old man out in the gardens.

But _this_ wasn't the gardens.

Sniffing—from catching a cold—Thomas took to the back of the room, hand slipping under the person's underarm and dragging him up. When he was knelt before Crocodile, Thomas gave a stiff nod and said in a stuffy tone, "Go on, blast him a way."

Crocodile looked up to the old man, who was now backing away. "This is all yours, boy. Take your time if you must, but do _**not**_ cower."

Thomas pulled the bag up to reveal a snot nosed man, eyes wide and mouth gagged. Their stares met dead on, fear laced within those brown round irises.

His lips parted, heavy breath leaving his mouth as he exhaled. The gun hung at his side, expression going blank. He watched the man twitch and struggle, eyes growing frantic when he noticed the gun.

The room began to fill with muffled cries.

Leaning up against the door frame, Thomas sniffed loudly once more. "Don't be a baby about it, lad—go and give him what he deserves."

The man before him glanced towards Thomas, trying to scream out an obvious protest.

"Crocodile," the old man gently said from the back of the room, "this man is our enemy. Do not pity him—he is in this situation because of his own mistakes."

He felt his body go stiff, gaze falling down to the gun.

"The first one is always the hardest," the old man added.

Snorting, Thomas coughed into his elbow before stating, "Pretend he fucked you over or something, you know? Gave you're a woman a good poking—that should set a fire in yer belly, no?"

One of the other men laughed at that. "Don't think he's old enough to be taking lovers."

"Why not?" Thomas shot back, tone clearly amused. "By his age, I had many a women."

And as the group continued on with their jokes and jabs, Crocodile found himself going blank, eyes glued into the hostage's stare.

The old man's voice filled his head.

"Do not disappoint me, Crocodile."

Holding his breath, he pulled the gun upwards, pressing the tip of the barrel to the hostage's forehead. His body shook, but not as much as that man's. He felt his stomach turn, nausea forming and bile crawling up his throat. _I…I…I can't_, he thought frantically, fear causing sweat to bead on his face.

"Do it, Crocodile," the old man ordered, tone firmer than before. "Do not show these men here that you're a coward."

His hand began to shake, index finger slowly sliding in front of the trigger.

The man before him shook his head, eyes clamping shut as the tears ran down. A muffled sob filled the room.

"_Just fucking do it already!_" Thomas snarled.

And a loud piercing sound overtook any protests, orders, or laughter when Crocodile pulled the trigger. The man's body went limp on the floor after a second, brains and muscles and skull fragments scattered about.

A hand touched his shoulder, the gun falling to the floor. "You did well," the old man said, voice soft and welcoming and _proud_. "You did well."

It took him almost an hour to wash out pieces of the man's brains from his hair that night.

* * *

**1873 ~ Age 13**

His heart fluttered for Milly.

Crocodile was dead set on believing she was the most beautiful girl the world had to offer. Even though she was three years his senior, he dreamt many times of the day he could reveal his feelings to her.

There were many times when he tried to say as such, only to stumble around with his words and appear strange. His legs always seemed weak those moments, hand sweaty and skin pale—that was until she flashed him a sweet smile.

He was always left with a pink tone in his face then.

Unfortunately, as they grew to such ages, their time and interactions together seemed to dwindle down. Crocodile spent most of his time studying and following Thomas around on missions, and Milly—well, she had chores to do and duties to serve, as she would always tell him.

He understood, though—he never wanted to put her out where she would get in trouble with the old man. If she had a job to do, that, of course, would come first. He was just happy to spend whatever free time he had by her side.

Besides, she never took to working beside Thomas, for some reason Crocodile never knew. The best he could figure was that she didn't like the things he said, which was understandable—Thomas had a way of sounding mean, but he _never_ did anything harsh.

One night, when the temperature was high and the inside of the mansion was like that of an oven, Crocodile found her bathing in the stream out in the hunting grounds. The servants weren't allowed to bathe inside, and while she had seen him naked from his own baths many times, he had never seen her in such a manner.

Of course, he made sure to keep hidden behind the bushes as he watched her, taking in her naked form as she washed her hair. He thought she looked like one of the goddesses Tsuru would talk about in her stories, and he figured that—under the moonlight, skin glistening from the water—she could easily ascend into the heavens then.

He felt closer to her and at that very moment, he was positive that he found his true love.

Crocodile told the old man his feelings, expressing his fascination with her beautiful smile and round eyes. "She's perfect," he admitted, right hand clamping over his forearm as a dull throb took to his stump. "I think I love her."

"Is that so?" the old man asked, gaze glued on the newspaper he was reading. "And does she return the same feelings?"

"I haven't told her," Crocodile answered softly. After a moment, he glanced towards the window and muttered, "I'll marry her one day."

He never noticed the hard look sent his way by the older male.

Two weeks after revealing his desires of Milly, the old man called him up to his office. It was late, almost time for bed, but he acted as if something of importance needed to be discussed. He had Crocodile stand before the window, ordering him to gaze down into the gardens below.

"I have another lesson," he started as he took to a cigar, smoke rising high. When Crocodile went to turn around, he quickly—_and roughly_—ordered him to keep his gaze down at the gardens. "You need to witness what is about to occur down there for you to truly understand this lesson."

Frowning, Crocodile searched the gardens, unable to spot anything different. "I don't understand," he began, stopping when the old man silenced him with a low huff.

"The other day, you expressed to me your feelings for the maid," the old man stated, voice growing quieter as he took to the other side of the office, far away from Crocodile. "You said you wanted to marry her and that you loved her."

Crocodile found himself smiling as he nodded. "Yes," he responded, happy to be talking about Milly. Any mention of her seemed to send his heart aflutter.

"Such feelings are worthless—they'll only end up harming you."

A long moment passed without any words being spoken.

"You give out your trust too easily, I've noticed," the old man added, tone strange—almost stressed. "If you wish to take over my legacy, then you must learn not to trust anybody, not even me."

Crocodile glanced back at the man, confused, and when he went to speak, the old man beat him to it.

"Turn back around," he ordered, voice harsh. "And look down upon the gardens." When Crocodile did as such, the old man continued on. "Revealing such information will only allow your enemies to take advantage of you—trust is an _**illness**_, you must understand this, boy."

"I don't see the big deal," he began, words falling short when he caught somebody entering the gardens quickly. Narrowing his stare, he found it to be Milly, a frantic look upon her face. "What…?"

"The maid," the old man softly said, "what is about to happen to her is of _**your**_ doing, for being naïve." Inhaling deeply, he took to the door to leave, before saying, "Never trust anyone—you'll only be hurting those you care about by doing as such. But most importantly, never learn to grow close to anybody."

He felt his face grow pale as he pressed his hand to the window, confused as to why Milly looked as frightened as she did. She appeared as if she were trying to hide, crouching behind one of the larger rose bushes.

And he appeared, hands shoved deep down in his pockets and a cigarette pressed between his lips.

_Thomas…?_

_Is she…is she hiding from him?_

The man found her easily, prompting her to fall back on her bottom and throw her hands up. They exchange words and then he tossed his cigarette and…

_She's crying…why is she crying?_

Was Thomas bullying her? Crocodile found himself holding his breath, nails pressing into the window glass. He couldn't figure out what was happening—the old man made it out as if something wrong was going to happen to Milly, and that it was to be his fault, but…

_But it's only Thomas out there, so…?_

And as the male approached Milly, he figured that he did so to comfort her; however, much to Crocodile's puzzlement, she was quick to back away from Thomas, and faintly, he could hear her scream.

His heart felt as if it stopped for a moment, mouth growing dry and eyes widening.

Crocodile couldn't move, taking in everything that proceeded to happen. He was confused and scared and his stomach began to knot up. Part of him wanted to look away, but fear kept him utterly still, lips trembling.

And no matter how loud Milly screamed, how much she tried to fight off Thomas, how gut-wrenchingly painful it was to watch everything unfold, Crocodile could not find the courage in him to move his legs and run down there to help her.

She left sobbing in the early morning hours and he never saw her again.

And he thought it all to be his fault.

* * *

**1876 ~ Age 16**

His blood pounded from the excitement of his first solo mission.

Well, not _exactly_ solo—one of the guys had been waiting around the corner, just in case; but Crocodile was more than damn sure he can do it all on his own.

_Go in—shoot up the target—get out._

_I __**got **__this._

He had confidence and youth on his side—_nobody can stop me now._ With a smirk glued on tight, he kicked down the door, eyes glancing about quickly as he searched for his target. _Middle-aged guy, balding—fat, slow—and incredibly stupid for thinking he can cross the old man._

_Nobody crosses the old man and gets away with it._

He found them cowering in the bathroom tub, old lady and kid huddled up. He drew his gun out, eyes studying the situation, brain processing. The guy was missing—Crocodile should have been focused on _that_ fact, but he couldn't because the daughter—five, seven maybe—was crying loudly.

_There wasn't any mention of a family…_

He yelled at them to stop with the cries and everything had grown silent. "Where is he?" he questioned, tone harsh and demanding and prompting that damn kid to start with the cries again. "Is he hiding?" he asked then, eyes flicking to the door on the other side of the bathroom.

The woman only buried the child's face into her bosom, fighting back her own tears.

"Answer me!" He snapped, gun pointing directly at the two. "_Where __**is**__ he?_" His finger wiggled in front of the trigger, but he remained frozen.

_Can I do it?_

He killed before—since the age of eleven, he's killed. _But never a child._ His lips parted, shaky breath leaving his lips as he tried to figure everything out. He had to keep his cool—_always keep your cool._

Something struck his back and he stumbled forward, hand shooting out to grip onto the sink. The woman screamed and he threw his hand back, gun smacking the jaw of his attacker. Crocodile quickly whipped around, steading himself.

The man glared at him as he rubbed the side of his face, a knife in his other hand. His stature was large—round—and he came forward fast for his size, slamming into Crocodile and throwing him against the wall.

The daughter's screeching caught him by surprise and he hesitated.

And that was the mistake.

The knife slashed at him, face ripping open—something warm was running down his cheeks and pooling into his mouth. A blinding pain erupted inside and caused him to scream.

He pulled the trigger and a _**bang**_ later, the man was good as dead.

Running his stump across his face, he took in the blood smeared across the horrible scars—an anger grew, his eyes snapping over to the screaming females. He pointed his gun up at them, baring his teeth as he fought back another scream of pain.

He didn't hesitant to silence them then.

Outside, he met up with the other guy, hand covering his face as if afraid that the two halves would fall apart if he didn't do as such. When the guy saw him, his eyes widened in horror and he began yelling and Crocodile started yelling and the world around them was silent.

Months later, he developed a scar—ugly and hideous and a twin to his stump. Thomas caught him staring in the mirror once, running fingers along the jagged lines.

"You look like one," he said.

Crocodile—frowning—glanced at the man's reflection in the mirror. "Like _what_?" he questioned, annoyed.

Thomas offered him a smirk, clicking his tongue as he slowly answered, "Like a crocodile."

He had grown to loathe the scar on his face more than the stump.

* * *

**1882 ~ Age 22**

Sitting at the old man's desk, Crocodile hung the phone up, expression tired from the lengthy conversation. While the conversation itself wasn't too bad, the telephone caused him some troubles. It was difficult learning how to operate such a machine at first, but Thomas claimed it was the tool to lead everybody into the future. Along with electricity and automobiles, the world seemed to be evolving.

And sometimes it was just too damn hard to keep up.

_I can barely keep up with the old man's business_, he thought bitterly as he slumped back in the seat, eyes fluttering shut. For the past month, he sat in for the guy—sort of like a second in command. While he didn't have full control—and had to still run most things by the mob lord—Crocodile found doing all of this rather stressful.

But at the same time, it felt _nice_ to be at the top.

A dull throb took to his stump and he ran his hand over it, sighing as his fingers touched the bumps and scars. He had a long day, too tired to do any of the paperwork. _I can do later—it isn't going anywhere…_ Besides, it was late and he had to go visit the old man in his room to discuss business.

Getting up, he flipped the switch on the desk light off, arms stretching out for a moment as he yawned. After such, his gaze fell back to the desk, eyes finding his personal item he brought it to admire during the day.

A hook—golden and beautiful.

He had bought it during a visit to Europe.

Picking the hook up, he headed for the door. He so enjoyed the feel of the cool metal against his touch, how it seemed almost light in his grip—the merchant he bought it off of said he could even learn how to fight with it, if he so desired.

Crocodile thought it silly, at first, to imagine himself wielding a hook upon his slump, like some sort of pirate from one of Tsuru's stories; however, after trying it on—once or twice—he found it rather…interesting. There was many times where he thought about taking it with him on missions, imaging the fear he could install in others as he flung the tip towards their faces.

Unfortunately, there never seemed to be an opportunity for him to do as such. Months prior, the old man had gone on and on about a cough of his, and while most—including Crocodile—thought nothing of it, the man was positive something was amidst with his health.

And it wasn't until he collapsed a month before that people started to worry.

Crocodile, personally, didn't think much of it. The guy was old—he was the old man, after all, with wrinkles deep in his flesh and tired grey eyes. _But that doesn't mean he'll keel over all of a sudden…_No, he was positive that the old man had just caught a cold, nothing serious.

But because of such, Crocodile was left to do everything the old man couldn't do anymore, from keeping up with alliances to managing drug routes to even signing negotiation paperwork in his name for him. He barely had any time to himself. And while he was sure he was still in the running to take over fully when the old man passed, he didn't think that _that_ day would come anytime soon. _Right now is only temporary, until he gets better…just a taste of what will be mine in the future._

Approaching the old man's room, he noticed Tsuru waiting outside the door, expression tired. She spent most of her hours with the man, tending to every little need and it was obvious that the stress was getting to her. He pitied her—that maid was the only person in his life he could ever feel as such for, it seemed.

Crocodile was fond of the old woman, but would never dare to admit as such. The last time he revealed feeling close to another had been when he was thirteen, back when...

_Back when Milly still worked here._

The thought left a bad feeling in his gut, his stump seemingly starting to throb even more. Shaking his head slightly, he approached Tsuru, taking in her thin smile.

"Have you come to visit the master?" she asked softly, words slow and gaze tired. "He has been expecting you for the past hour."

"Late night," Crocodile answered as he gently pushed past her to open the bedroom door. "Go rest a bit while I talk with him." And with that, he turned his attention inwards, eyes instantly heading for the chair by the window.

The old man enjoyed sitting there, looking down into the gardens with a soft smile on his face. He would eat his food there, read the paper there, and if comfortable enough, sleep there.

When Crocodile cleared his throat, he looked his way, cocking a thin brow. He seemed confused at first, almost as if he didn't remember him—but soon after, he flashed him a toothy grinned and waved him over. "Sit, sit," he said happily, glancing off to the empty seat beside him. "Come, tell me everything."

And so Crocodile did, making sure to go over every detail slow enough for the old man to process.

Once finished, the man nodded before casting his gaze out through the window. "I'm glad I have you around to tend to these things while I recover—I could never see Thomas or the others being able to do as such." He paused, a soft smirk forming as his leathery hands folded together over his lap. "You've grown quite a bit since that young boy I found on the streets."

Crocodile remained silent, eyes slowly glancing out to the gardens. The moonlight was shinning down upon the roses and the knot in his stomach grew tighter.

Growing up in that mansion, he never once questioned why the old man did the things he did. He didn't ask him why he took his hand, he never objected to killing others at such a young age, and he couldn't gather the courage to bring up Milly.

When he was thirteen, he didn't know anything—he was naive and weak and scared.

At twenty-two, he found himself angry and confused and disgusted.

Coughing, the old man fluttered his eyes shut and brought his blanket up from his lap to cover his chest. "I'm sure that if you continue down this path, you will find the world yours." A smile came to him then, as if proud of the man Crocodile had become. "I did good by you, I must admit."

Crocodile's brows lowered a bit, the corner of his lips twitching. _Good…by me?_ "How so?" he found himself asking, his hand balling into a fist.

The man exhaled softly, eyes still closed. "I know I was rather rough sometimes," he began, tone amused, "but I truly believe everything I did to teach you was beneficial—you're doing a wonderful job at running things for me, don't be modest." When he opened his eyes to send him a warm gaze, Crocodile found himself angry.

He never hated the man growing up, nor ever hold his actions against him, but hearing him talk like that, as if what he _did_ to him was right, left a sour taste in his mouth. "I'm sure cutting an eight year old's hand off is more than just _rough_," he found himself saying, cold stare meeting that of the man's.

Tilting his head, the man sighed and waved a dismissing hand. Coughing, he said, "That…that was just to put you in your place, you must understand that, Crocodile. A lesson…you know this, why bring it up now?"

Crocodile cupped his stump, exhaling softly. "You never look at it," he commented then, eyes gazing down upon the scars. "Does it bother you to do so?"

A low mewl of groan escaped the man before a series of coughs. "I'm sick and too tired to discuss such things—come, tell me about the routes again, yes?"

Crocodile shook his head _no _as he stiffened in his seat, eyes glaring into the man's. "I'm not finishing talking about this," he shot back, lifting his stump. "It still hurts to this day."

"This life is meant to have pain," the old man objected, tone growing harsh—annoyed. "We all make sacrifices…How do you expect to continue my legacy if you can't even handle this?"

Crocodile couldn't believe him. "You act as if this is some _minor _wound."

Pointing a boney finger his way, the old man sternly said, "If I had not done what I did, you would have come to this mansion and my clan a child with everything being handed to him—no. I wanted a son that I could lead and _show _how things were done…I taught you a lesson that day, you must understand this."

"That doesn't even make any sense," Crocodile snapped back, frustration building in his face. "And these lessons of yours…Was what you did to Milly a good lesson for me? Really?"

The old man cocked a brow, expression growing confused. "Milly? And who may that be?"

He felt sick then, standing up from his seat to point out through the window. "Down there, nine years ago—don't you remember happened to that maid? _What you did?_" He was yelling—he had never yelled at the old man before, yet, it felt nice to do so.

The man sat up in his seat, clearly not pleased with Crocodile's tone. "You mean that girl you had a child's crush on?" He shook his head, laughing lightly. "I can't believe you…Are you upset she ran away?" Before Crocodile had the chance to response, he continued on. "Let me tell you something here, _boy_: that maid would have been nothing but trouble! I spared you a life of pain and hurt—did you know, a few years after that happened, one our men found her in a brothel? Is that the type of woman you wanted standing behind you? A _**whore**_?"

Flexing his fingers over his hook, Crocodile narrowed his stare. "I'm not upset because of her leaving—I'm upset with what you did to her in order to _teach _me a lesson." He threw his gaze aside, glancing out through the window. "She didn't deserve that."

"Then you shouldn't have told me," the old man retorted, his chair creaking as he got up. "You showed signs of weakness, and if I ever wanted you to take over for me, I had to destroy that habit of trust."

He felt pain in his thumb as he pressed it against the tip of the hook, casting a hard gaze back to search the man's face.

"You've grown cocky in the past month," the man continued, pushing past him to head towards the door. "Putting you in charge while I heal has proven too much for you to handle—work on that attitude of yours, boy, and I'll think of looking to you for help again in the future."

And with that, he left Crocodile alone in the room, a new found hatred deep in his gut.

* * *

**1887 ~ Age 27**

The old man lay suffering in his bed, coughing his lungs out in a bloody mess.

Crocodile sat beside him, listening as he struggled to speak. "You are responsible for the survival of this clan," he weakly said, hand reaching up to cover his mouth as he coughed. "You've pro…proven yourself many times over the past few years capable of running this business…I'm…proud, Crocodile."

Crocodile only responded with a single nod, expression blank.

While most of the others were saddened over the man's condition, Crocodile found himself numb of any emotion—except for one, strangely. He was happy, almost, that the time of his death was nearing soon, as if _relieved_.

The past handful of years had proven difficult because of the man's condition. Not only did he suffer from the illness in his lungs, but he seemed to lose his mind as well. There were many times when Crocodile had to repeat himself, or go over in extreme detail of what was happening in the clan, many of things discussed that the old man should have been familiar with already.

And by Crocodile's twenty-seventh year, he had grown completely in charge, not having to run things by the man anymore, not having to go by his rules. He was at the top—the men looked to him, followed _his_ orders, and listened to what he had to say.

He even began hiring and taking in new members. Just a few months ago he found a young fellow with a talent of assassination—reliable, easy to rely on in tight situations. Daz Bones, a unique name for a unique man. And Crocodile was positive he would find more like him, expanding his empire with ease.

But the old man clung to life desperately, never falling into Death's embrace. Crocodile hated him for that, found him annoying almost—a pester to running the mob.

_He should just die already._

"How is things running?" the man asked, face tilting against his pillow as he gazed up at him.

"Its fine," Crocodile answered, tone dull.

The man frowned slightly, but appeared too tired to argue. A few minutes of silence passed by—besides the occasional wheezing—before he spoke. "I…I'm sorry for what I said all those years ago—what I did…"

Crocodile's gaze fell hard on him.

He coughed again into his sleeve, bloody mucous stains left behind. "I honestly thought I was doing you right, that I was a good father."

Crocodile stiffened in his seat, eyes glancing away. "You weren't my father." The closest he had to a parent figure in that mansion was Tsuru, and he rewarded her greatly for that. Under his control, she had it easy, being the head maid and having many afternoons to herself to relax.

The old man's hand touched his, drawing his stare back. "I tried to be, t-though," he objected weakly. "And I'm sorry for failing you in that way…will, will you forgive me?"

Crocodile pulled his hand back, angry that the man was now demanding this for him. "You don't deserve that," he calmly answered. He had learned to keep his emotions hidden from his tone. "_**Not**_ you."

The man's gaze fell weak, lips trembling. "Please, Crocodile, I lay dying—I need your forgiveness…you, you must understand this."

The younger of the two stood up and turned to head for the door, stopping when the old man called out his name.

"Do not walk away from me," he practically snarled, clearly angry. "While I still breathe, I am in charge and I order you to forgive me."

Crocodile cocked a brow, amused then and he found himself smirking. "Is that so?" he questioned, turning around completely to face the man. His gaze fell to a pillow beside the man's legs and he took it into his hand. Looking to him, he softly said, "Here, allow me to make you a bit more comfortable."

Relaxing a tad bit, the man exhaled softly, shifting aside and waiting for Crocodile to place the pillow behind him. "You must understand…"

Before he had the chance to finish, Crocodile pushed the pillow to his face, holding him down with ease against the bed. He could feel him jerk beneath him, frail hands shooting up to grab his wrist. The now dying mod lord was weak, so weak, and he found a smile forming under his scar.

He had killed men, women, and children before—adding an old man to the list didn't bother him.

* * *

**1888 ~ Age 28**

When Thomas arrived, Crocodile had him meet him in the gardens. It had been two years since he last saw the man, now late in his forties. He was not around for the old man's funeral, and expressed great guilt for such over the phone—so when Crocodile offered for him to return home to pay his respects to the previous mob lord's grave, he was happy to oblige.

"I always knew you'd be the one to take over after the old guy," Thomas said, happily so, as he walked beside Crocodile in the gardens. "He'd always talked 'bout how proud he was of you, how he had such big dreams of what you'd become."

Crocodile nodded silently.

"Can't believe you're the same lad we found in the streets all those years ago," he added, laughing afterwards. "You smelt something foul, let me tell you."

Crocodile turned his gaze to him when they stopped. "Do you remember when I was younger," he began, hand slipping into his pocket to run his finger along something smooth inside, "there was a maid who worked here? She was young, just a few years older than me—her name was Milly? Do you remember her?"

Thomas tilted his head and cocked a brow. "Milly…?" A smile formed. "Oh, yes, _Milly_—I remember her." A coy smirk took over, his gaze glancing about them. "She was a fine thing…sweet on the eyes…Why?"

Crocodile shrugged, turning around so that he wasn't facing him. "She was a friend of mine, when we were young," he started, breathing softly. "She was kind, hopeful…" He slowly turned his attention back to Thomas, meeting his confused stare. "And she hated you."

Thomas gave out a strange half-laugh, shrugging as he glanced away. "Don't know why you'd think that—I was always nice to the lass; treated her real…_good_."

Crocodile's gaze fell to his stump for a moment. "The reason I brought her up is because I was never sure why she left all those years ago—would you happen to know why?"

Sniffing a little, Thomas took a few steps off to the side, clearly growing uncomfortable. "Well, you know—sometimes we just got to go….you know? Get up and leave, start somewhere new, I suppose…"

He cocked a brow in response, fingers wrapping around the object in his pocket. "And you wouldn't have the faintest idea as to what prompted her to, as you say, _get up and leave_?"

"Look," Thomas objected as he turned back around, "I didn't come here to talk 'bout some stupid maid; I came to pay my respects."

Crocodile offered him a thin smile, expression fighting the urge to turn sour. "I suppose that is best," he agreed, taking a step towards him. "However, there is something you need to see before I take you to his grave, if you don't mind waiting a moment."

Nodding, Thomas simply said, "Sure, what is it?"

He pulled the hook out, sunlight reflecting off its surface and bouncing back into Thomas's eyes. "What's that?" he question, squinting as he leaned forward for a better look. "That a hook?"

"Yes," Crocodile happily answer, slamming the point in between his eyes and pulling down. "Yes, it is."

Thomas's screams were the sweetest thing he heard in years, and afterwards, as he walked back towards the mansion, he passed by Daz. "Clean up the mess in the garden," he ordered calmly, offering him the faintest of smiles. "Dispose of him in the…_hole_, with the old man—somebody like that doesn't deserve a marked grave."

"Yes, _sir_," Daz said with a slight nod.

* * *

**1892 ~ Age 32**

She was the fire to his loins.

This girl—_woman_—that he called his own was everything he wanted and more. She held him in the palm of her hand, driving him up the wall each and every time he took her—her screams of pleasure a hymn.

Crocodile loved _loved_ _**loved**_ her, and she loved him back.

He'd whisper as such as he moved inside her, finding her lips afterwards and groaning when he gave her his seed. He wanted her in every way: to be the woman standing behind him, to take his name and give him his children.

She was utterly perfect—his life was perfect, it seemed. His empire flourished, much larger than the old man could ever make it, and his love life was afire with pure lust and love—he was sure it was love, it had to be.

Nothing could compare to the feelings he had for her.

He met her in the court of some lord's social gathering—he always failed to remember what exactly for—and from there, became infatuated with her. She was confident and beautiful and quick to flirt—he easily gave his heart to her, his trust—his life, if he could.

She was his woman, how could he not?

When he asked her to marry him, she happily agreed.

When he caught her going through his stuff, he happily gobbled up her excuses.

Crocodile trusted the woman—he trusted her so much if hurt.

It hurt when he found out she wasn't who she claimed to be—that the name he knew her by wasn't even hers. She was a farce; a cruel lie conjured up by an enemy mob to take him down.

"Teach," she would scream at him when he confronted her about the rumors, "_Teach, Teach, Teach_—I've been working for him this whole time and you've been too blind to notice." She threw the ring at his chest—it was his mother's, all he had of her, and it laid on the floor, cold and useless.

Lust seemed to easily turn into anger then.

He hated _hated_ _**hated**_ her, and she hated him back.

He hated himself for being so damn naïve—so trusting. _The old man warned you—don't you remember?_

"Did you ever love me?" he questioned, expression blank as she scrambled about to pack her things. She was leaving, going back to the other mob—leaving his heart shattered upon the floor, a mess.

"No." She said it so easily, a smirk on her lips, and it puzzled him. "Look at you," she added, tone angry. "Ugly scars—what woman would want to wake up to _that_?"

The old man's words filled his head: _That's the type of woman you want standing behind you? A whore?_

The doctor called his mother a whore and he resented the world for such.

The old man called Milly a whore and he murdered him for that.

The woman he had given himself fully betrayed him in the worst way—the one person who he _could_ protect such harsh words from turned out to be one, he figured then, fingers twitching as he formed a fist.

When she went to leave his bedroom, he went after her, and he could never really remember the first punch, or the second, or the third—but by the middle of the night, she was lying there motionless and bloodied and face unrecognizable.

He buried her in the hole by himself and never bothered to think of her again.

Crocodile finally learned his lesson—trust was truly an _illness_ and nobody would ever have his again.

* * *

**1900 ~ Age 40**

Crocodile owned half of the state.

The empire had grown to be the most powerful around—the only one even coming close to his belonging to that idiot bird, Doflamingo. _But he's a fool and easily disposable._ He had no worries—his many trade routes were safe and his men were strong.

Nobody had the power to stop him and while he was pleased with his life at that point, he wanted more.

Crocodile wanted to expand his _land_, his influence on all the other clans. He lusted for the day he could wipe out all his enemies: Teach, Whitebeard, Doflamingo, and various other clans. And most importantly, he grew proud of how his legacy was becoming.

Tsuru's voice earned his attention as she entered his office, drawing him back from his thoughts. "A snack, young master?" she asked as she approached his desk with a platter of cheese and crackers. The woman always seemed to know when he desire sometime to eat, strangely.

He simply chalked it up her motherly instincts.

With a simple nod, she placed it before him, making sure not to disturb his stack of papers. Reaching out for a cracker, he nodded to the chair across from him. "Sit," he ordered her, tone calm.

The old woman took a seat, hands folding upon her lap.

They spent some afternoons like that—she was easy to talk to and she would tell him how things were fairing among the servants and his men. Yet, at the same time, she had a tendency to bug him about the littlest of things.

Late into their conversation, she brought up something as such, offering him the slightest of smiles. "Do you realize that the previous master was your age when he took you in?"

Crocodile's expression dulled, not impressed with her topic. "Are you trying to imply something?" he asked of her, leaning back in his seat. It bothered him whenever Tsuru brought up the old man—he wasn't worth the waste of time.

The woman glanced past him, through the window. "I'm only trying to make conversation," she responded, small chest rising as she inhaled deeply. "Although," her stare met his, "I believe it would be a shame if you didn't look into continuing your bloodline."

"Bloodline?" he asked, cocking a brow and fighting back the urge to laugh. "Are you joking?" Pausing, he reached out for an already lit cigar waiting for him in an ashtray. "You do know that I wasn't related to that man, correct?"

Tsuru smiled softly, eyes following the cigar to his mouth. She never did like his smoking habits—was dead convinced he smoked too much. "Yes, I know this, but that doesn't mean you can't invest in a family."

He couldn't fight back the laughter anymore, shaking his head at the woman's silly thoughts. "Families are pointless in this line of work."

Her gaze lifted to meet his once more. "Who says this?" she asked gently, shifting in her seat. "Who says you must spend your life alone as you do?"

Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke her way, leaning forward in his seat. "I think this is really about you and your need to take care of children…are you growing bored with that child, what was his name…?"

"Coby?" she finished for him, arching a brow. "Or do you mean Usopp, or perhaps Sanji? You have many young people working for you, but no—I do bring this up in regards to my wants."

Falling back in his seat, he found himself frowning. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," he decided then, earning an annoyed expression from the old maid.

He truly hated it when she brought up children. She was a strong believer in the whole _heir_ concept, as was the old man—if the two geezers could ever agree on something, it was that. Once, years ago when he was madly in love, he contemplated the idea of a child, but that idea died as fast as it came.

Besides, procreating meant first finding another, and he struggled quite a bit with such. Ever since his _failed_ love affair with that backstabbing woman, he found it difficult to look to another. The women of the upper class disgusted him—they were too snobbish or clucky, or worse, old and desperate for a husband.

Spending his nights with local whores from the brothels was an absolute _no_—he would never dare lay with such a woman. Such thoughts left him utterly nauseous and on the verge of disgust.

And as of recent, he found himself developing a strange habit of only wanting those untouched. It bothered him to think of another person having any of his potential…_partners_ before he did. Living by such a concept meant he had many lonely nights.

Of course, though, it wasn't as if he _didn't_ want somebody. He enjoyed sex, the feeling of another against him as they drew out each other's pleasures. And it would be a lie if he said he didn't have certain desires and ideas he wanted to try out in the bedroom—the only problem was finding somebody who could turn him on.

And that was proving rather difficult—he couldn't even remember the last time he slept with another. It seemed ages since his bed held another besides himself, but in the end, he could never get over his urge to find the _perfect_ person.

And while he could never trust anybody, finding somebody as such was the closest to trust that he could ever get.

In the end, Crocodile didn't see himself with a family anytime soon and was rather alright with spending his life as such. If he ever did find happen to come across another who he could bed without growing disgusted, then so be it—but he wouldn't go out of his way to search for said person.

No matter how many times Tsuru brought up the subject.

* * *

**1905 ~ Age 45**

The sounds of people cheering drew him to the side-street show. With a dull expression, he watched the clown with the huge red nose make a fool of himself. Crocodile didn't understand the humor the people saw in such a performance and he chalked it all up to peasants being easily entertained.

After watching for a few minutes, he began to grow bored. He had things to do back at the mansion, with Daz waiting for him by the car. Wasting his time here wouldn't benefit him at all.

And as he began to turn, he caught something odd with the corner of his eye. Slipping around the edge of the crowd, a small creature covered in white make-up made its way to him, eyes wide and glued on his back.

_Now what is that thing going to do?_ He questioned himself, amused as he watched it, most likely a young boy dressed up as the clown's assistant.

When he crept towards him, Crocodile had his answer. Gazing back towards the clown, he found himself smirking. _He's going to try and rob me. A little thief._

And of course, he did as such, slipping his little hand into his coat pocket and stealing the few bills he had stuffed in there. It wasn't much, not by Crocodile's standards, but he figured that _that_ must have been a jackpot for the youngster. He managed to get far without anybody else noticing, he had to give him that.

In a second, the assistant was scurrying off towards a nearby alleyway, oblivious to the fact that Crocodile was tailing him. While he was impressed with their thieving ability, he wasn't going to allow him to get away.

Nobody stole from him and got away with it.

When he caught up to the thief, he wasted no time to make the assault, hand shooting up to grab their shoulder and slamming them into the wall. They gave out the weakest of cries, hands slithering up the walls to push them back.

When they tried to take a swing back at him, he pulled his hand away from their shoulder to grab it, pinning it up high above their head. It excited him that they were trying to fight back, his blood starting to pound.

The thought of ending the trash's life then and there in that filthy alleyway became almost orgasmic. Leaning forward to their ear, he asked, "You thought I didn't notice that little stunt back there?" He pushed the thief harder against the wall, smiling when he earned a whimper of pain. "I knew what you were doing before you even slipped this little hand of yours in my pocket," he added as his nails dug into the tender flesh of the thief's hand. "Is that what you two do? Lure people in with those flashy tricks only to rob them?"

He felt their body shake against his own, and hesitantly, they spoke. "I," the boy began weakly, only for the words to die.

"You what?" he muttered harshly, annoyed that they stopped talking. "Are you going to beg for forgiveness?" When he dug his nails in deeper, he added, "Do you even know what happens to little thieves like yourself?"

_Bad things happen to them._

He knew that from personal experience.

"Nothing to say?" he asked when they didn't response. "Do you know what _I _do to little thieves like yourself?"

_Horrible things_—_worse than that old man ever did to me._

"I didn't take much!" he finally said, voice small and weak and so insignificant.

"Wrong answer," he snapped back.

And the thief had the nerve to argue with him, going on and on about how it wasn't much. They questioned him, and amused, he went to respond, relaxing his grip only a tad bit. He was met with an elbow in the gut as a reward, allowing them enough room to squeeze out from under him.

That was their second mistake that day.

The thief didn't manage to get far before he took them again in his arms, holding them tight against his chest. Glancing down, he got a good view of their front, eyes widening only slightly as he realize something about his robber. As they tried to squirm for their freedom, he pressed his hand around their neck.

"A fighter's spirit," he admitted as he drew them back into the shadows of the alleyway. "I half expected to find a boy, but…" His dipped his fingers down their neck and towards their clavicle, eyes taking in the small inch of cleavage. "Women always prove to be the sneakiest."

And as the situation continued, he figured out more and more about his little thief—this little thing with round eyes and pouty lips. Poor and filthy and everything that reminded him of when he was a young boy. And while she was nervous and rather fearful, she had an attitude to her—a fire in her to stay alive.

But she was also rather naïve and gullible, something he thought he would enjoy destroying. The thought of taking something so…so _fragile_ and tarnishing it brought a joy inside of him.

When he was a young boy, the old man took him in and destroyed his innocence, so why couldn't he do the same? Yes, this girl before him was older, and more willing to fight than he had been when younger, but she was also trusting and naive, believing every word he said to her in that alleyway.

When she showed resistance to his offers of her working for him, he made sure to mention the sheriff's office. He hoped on the fact she was gullible enough to believe he would bother with such a thing, and if not, then she wasn't worth the effort to take back.

He wanted somebody innocent and sweet and **naïve**.

Upon mention the sheriff's, it was all set after that. She went back with him to his mansion after cleaning up, revealing softer features hidden from the clown make-up. She was pretty enough, he had to admit, and her timid gazes and movements only convinced him more in his ideas and plans.

And then he convinced her to stay and work as his maid, and he began the game. He started slow, as not to startle her off—lingering touches, personal questions, longing looks. The more he leant about the young maid, the more and more he realized that he had may have found the perfect person to exercise all his desires with.

He had found and recreated a Milly, in a strange way.

But of course, he was not some young boy anymore—he was grown and he knew perfectly what he wanted, what his needs were, and what he expected from this new maid.

The little thief was not the young maid he had fallen for so many years ago, but she was a close second, and that was good enough for him. Besides, he wasn't looking for love—he just wanted to use her, and when he grew bored, he would toss her aside.

But only if she was _everything_ he needed.

All his questions of doubt were silenced when he touched her intimately for the first time. There were no feelings of disgust when he was with her—she was sexually inexperienced and so damn quick to blush.

Crocodile wanted to be the man that drew out all her pleasures, to show her how _good_ it felt to be touched by another. He wanted to be the one to take her for the first time—and as long as she remained his, the only one.

But he also wanted to corrupt her in ways outside of the bedroom. There was a strange need to incorporate her in his missions—and yes, of course she wouldn't be able to do anything intense, but she could spy for him, listen in and gather information from _guests_.

The little thief had a kind heart, that was more than obvious, and he wanted nothing more than to tarnish it.

That was the plan in regards to Luffy. He would make her his little plaything for who knows how long and then toss her on the streets. Simple and easy and no feelings whatever involved.

* * *

It was the day before his wedding and as he lay in his bed after taking Luffy for the first time in almost two months, he realized that he fucked up.

In their time apart, he found himself more than upset—he wanted her desperately, more than just sexually. He had grown accustom to her sleeping beside him, her soft breathing lulling him to sleep. He had become fond of her childish ways—something he never imagined in doing. Her soft gazes and sweet smiles set him in a better mood, and when she would aid him in the simplest of things, he couldn't help but feel glad he took her in. And of course, he found her satisfying in bed in all ways.

And it angered him to think she could so easily pull away from all that, leave him alone and bitter just because she felt bad about another woman—somebody who meant absolutely nothing to him. He wanted Luffy and only Luffy, and he tried to express that to her to the best of his ability, constantly reminding her how much he missed her and desired her—it was her fault she couldn't figure it out.

It wasn't love her felt for her, but he began to trust her, as much as he ordered himself not to. It wasn't much trust, and maybe he was mistaking it for affection, but in the end, Crocodile had found himself the closest to happy for the first time in many years.

As he held her in his arms that night before his wedding, he figured that he could probably never turn her away easily, never dump her on the streets like he originally planned. He had become too invested in her, it seemed.

And because of such, he realized he fucked up.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **It's the big day! Wedding bells for Crocodile and Robin and everybody is invited. At the reception party, Law has a long talk with Luffy. ((The next update, however, is going to be the side story.))

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, chapter was super long and I'm going to try and basically summarize the main point here: Crocodile digs Luffy because she reminds him of himself when younger as well as reminding him of his first crush/love, and since he never had the courage to confess his feelings and save her from Thomas, he does the things he thought he would have done with "Milly" (such as taking Luffy's virginity, buying her stuff, protecting her in a way). But he's also really jaded from what the old man and "the woman" did to him, so he takes his aggression out on her as well, wanting to manipulate her as the old man did to him: Basically destroy her innocence as the old man destroyed his. Slopping summary is sloppy but this chapter is so long and I'm tired and I hope you guys enjoyed reading all of this!

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Awww, thank you so much! :'D

**UnicornsThatGamble:** Thank you thank you thank you! :D I'm so happy you feel this way!

**Is a flying cookie 22:** Yes, this story is growing every day :D I have not given up on "Indian Summer," I plan on rewriting it after I finish this one. As for "Love me for me"…I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm not really motivated to continue it and its super out there from the canon and ah, I don't know. Thanks for the interest! :D

**TissueCube:** Yeah, Crocodile is being difficult in this story—he can come across as caring, but at the same time, be a super big asshole. He needs to work on his relationship skills big time, haha. And yeah, Luffy's naivety can be a lot to take in, especially for somebody like Law &amp; with him trying to get them to develop a relationship and Luffy's like "YEAH, well I'd like that but I'm shacking up with my boss sort of, soooo…when we going to move in together, huh? :3" Anyway, thanks for the kind complements and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

**Starlight555:** I know, I'm horrible towards the LawLu side of the story—but I have plans to be kinder to them in the near future. And yes, *if/when* Luffy finds out the truth of this "arrangement," Crocodile will have to watch out. Thanks for reading!

**Kiki's cat:** Haha, I'll leave it up to you guys to decide who he lost his v-card to ;) Honestly, it's just a soap opera up in my head &amp; I just want to ruin the character's lives in this story and make them go through so much crap but also eat real nice food at the same time. Thank you so much!

**Anon:** Yeah, it can be taken as that, figuratively. I personally just couldn't think of another gift he could give her to basically try and buy her back, haha. Right now, no, he doesn't love her because he just isn't capable of loving another at his current state and mind. Fond of her, yes. Affectionate, yes. Love, no. And…I'll keep quiet about how much Crocodile know about LawLu. Thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Awww, your review makes me so happy because I feel like you're super into the story and that makes me happy/motivated! And Mama Robin for the win! Honestly, I'm with on studying more non-school stuff than school stuff, if that makes sense. Just like you said, looking into things for own interests seems more time-consuming/fun/interesting. I'm so happy you enjoyed the previous chapter! Thank you so much for the review!

**Cnerriza:** We'll cover Dragon and his job/role soon enough ;) Thanks for reading!

**Strawberry-rose98:** Ohmygosh, I'm so happy you think all this! Welcome to the fic, thank you for sticking around this far! And thank you so *much* for the kind complements—it really means a lot to me. Indian Summer is my next full-focus project after this one! Thank you so much for reading/reviewing!

**IMadeThisUp:** Oh no, I'm not upset you didn't review! Please never feel pressured to review—I'm happy enough knowing that my story is being read. /hugs welcome back! :D ((I always want your reviews—they are amazing and kind and wonderful and make my cheeks blush up because you're awesome.)) Yeah, Crocodile is super duper pricky asshole that needs to clean his game up. I'm really happy you're noticing her growth—that was my biggest challenge, but I wanted said challenge for practice. Thank you so much for all the kind words! I'm so happy you enjoyed reading the previous chapters! :D

**Son of Whitebeard:** Yes, and I'll try to include as many Strawhats as possible! I hope the backstory was an entertaining read! Thank you for reading/reviewing!

**Askana:** Ohmygosh, I am so sorry you read all this trash in one setting—it's so long Dx But I'm also super happy that you found it interesting. Welcome to the fic and I hope you stick around for some more! Thank you for reading/reviewing!


	25. Side Story 3 - Lights Out

***Side Story takes place another time/period from what is currently occurring in main plot—Robin/Nami/Zoro are not included in this side story. This also takes place with Law not yet knowing about Luffy and Crocodile.**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command| Side Story Three|** Lights Out

The air around them smelt crisp and refreshing, light rainfall settling and the sun making its descent from behind fat grey clouds. Doflamingo's mansion stood tall and proud before them, rows of pink roses and yellow sunflowers and stretches of ponds greeting them as the cars pulled up the drive.

It was Luffy's first time visiting Doflamingo's estate, and while Crocodile occasionally made the dry comment about how terrible the night would be, she found herself in pure excitement. Of course, there were times where she got to tag along with her employer on his meetings, but those were of the boring ones—this one, however, prompted a reunion with a certain friend of hers.

And Luffy just couldn't wait to meet up with Law once again.

Sitting in the servant's seating besides Usopp—who got to tag along due to Crocodile needing extra assistance in the soon to be _tiring_ Doflamingo experience—she glanced about happily, pointing off to the flock of flamingos just north of them. "Look, Usopp," she practically gushed, admiring their fine pink feathers and healthy builds. "They're much livelier than the ones back at Crocodile's mansion," she added.

Usopp nodded, a grim expression forming. "I don't think the master cares for our birds very much. I overheard him ordering Hawkins to eliminate them as soon as possible."

Pouting, Luffy crossed her arms and shook her head. "I won't let him get rid of a single one," she determined firmly—but _saying_ as such was much easier than actually _doing_ it, especially in regards to opposing Crocodile's decisions. _Besides, if ours grow fat enough, maybe Sanji could cook them!_

"Luffy," Usopp murmured as he looked at her worriedly, "I don't like that face you're making—what are you planning?"

Shrugging, Luffy sent him a cheerful smile when the car came to a halt. "Nothing," she answered softly before hopping down, brushing her skirts flat all the while. A flash of light came to life in her eyes and mere seconds later, a loud explosion followed suit, causing her to jump. "Thunder," she observed, leaning in towards the gardener as he climbed down the car. "The storm is growing," she added, pointing up at the clouds.

Usopp nodded. "Don't worry, Luffy, I'm sure it'll pass by the time the master is finished with his visit here." He proceeded to glance about nervously before saying, "But I don't have any ideas how long that will take. Knowing the master and his history with Doflamingo, it could go from anywhere between five minutes to five hours—it just depends on how long his patience runs…"

Sniffing a little due to the cold, Luffy quickly nodded and tucked her fingers under her arms, as a way to warm herself. Standing on tip toes, she glanced towards the front of the mansion, frowning when she failed to spot anyone. "They're not going to greet us?" she questioned, arching a brow when she glanced back at Usopp.

He only shrugged in response.

"That is one of the more distasteful qualities of that idiot," an annoyed voice answered from behind them. When Luffy turned around, she caught Crocodile glaring past them at the mansion, hand tugging at the collar of his coat to bring it closer to his neck. "He'd much rather have us freeze out here than have the common decency to see us in," he went on to add, throwing a dull glance towards Daz. "Go up ahead and see if you can find anyone."

With a mute nod, the driver left them to the cars, pushing—_shoving_—Bon Clay aside as he went and earning an angry stare.

"_Un, deux, trois,_" he snarled as he did a handful of spins. "Watch where you're _**going!**_" He stopped his spinning when he was in front of Luffy, placing his hand on her shoulder and pointing his toes upwards. "There's a nasty storm rolling in, don't you know?"

"Mr. Two," Crocodile calmly stated, earning the dancer's stare. "Why don't you go give a quick once-over of the mansion to make sure there are no _surprises_ in store for us."

Bon clay leaned in while cupping his chin. "Surprises—do you mean traps? Do you not trust Doflamingo?"

Crocodile's stare dulled. "I don't trust anyone—go, now, and be quick about it."

"Of course, of course!" the man practically sang before twirling around and skipping away. "_I'll find out if they're joking around or not~_" And as his tall figure disappeared into the fog, Luffy found herself smiling—she so enjoyed Bon Clay's company.

Something wet struck her face.

Glancing upwards, she pouted when it began to drizzle, hands shooting up to cover her face. "It's raining," she sighed, looking over to Usopp who was frantically digging around the trunk of the car. A moment later he revealed an umbrella.

"Under here, Luffy," he softly ordered when he opened it up.

She quickly took to his side, offering him a thankful smile all the while. "You're a lifesaver, Usopp," she gushed as she wiped off the water from her face.

"Uh…" the gardener weakly responded, causing her to blink and look to him in confusion. Someone pushed against her back and the umbrella was lifted higher. Usopp's stare left hers to glance upwards, his lips forming a firm line and eyes growing blank in emotion.

Glancing upwards, Luffy found Crocodile standing behind them sporting a hard frown. He had taken the umbrella into his possession so that he too could fit underneath. "I don't like the rain," he stated after a sigh when he caught her looking his way.

They remained mute after that, awaiting for Daz's return.

When the driver did come back, he did so with a young maid following after him. She carried an umbrella to shield herself from the rain while Daz pushed forward towards the car. "Do you want me to follow you in or wait outside?" he questioned Crocodile in a quiet voice.

"It's best that you come along—Mr. Two is…" Pausing, he threw a quick glance to the maid, who was tossing a cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. Lowing her voice and leaning in towards Daz, he added, "He is checking around, so perhaps it would be best if you stayed by my side in case things get heated—we are in _his_ territory."

And with that said, Crocodile pushed forward, leaving Luffy and Usopp out in the rain. Frowning, Usopp shook his head when she went to look to him to see if he had another umbrella. "That was it," he whispered as they took after their employer, side by side as if to create warmth.

The rainfall had hardened by that point, falling down in an unsteady pattern. Frowning, Luffy quickly linked her arm through Usopp's and lead them forward, towards the entrance of the mansion. As they neared Crocodile, she could hear Doflamingo's maid talking.

"The young master will see to you shortly," she said, opening the door for Crocodile before shaking her umbrella out and dumping it in a nearby basket. "In the meanwhile," she continued on, eyeing Luffy and Usopp for a brief second, "you can wait for him in his office, partaking in a drink and smoke if you desire."

Crocodile threw her a grim expression. "Doflamingo is not a man of fine tastes when it comes to smoking—I brought my own cigars." Pausing, he undid his umbrella and shoved it back into Luffy's hands before adding, "But I'll have a glass of red wine, if he even _has _any."

The maid nodded. "I'll fetch you a glass right away, sir, if you would just follow me…" she stated before gesturing off to a flight of stairs down the hallway. "As for your…servants?"

Crocodile glanced back at the group of three before cocking a brow. "How am I supposed to know where Doflamingo wants them?"

Fighting back a frown, the maid nodded and pointed down another hallway. "If you three would just continue down this way, you should come across the social room..."

Daz sent Crocodile a brief glance and after a stiff nod from the latter, he pushed past Luffy and Usopp to make his way down the hallway. After a moment, Usopp tugged Luffy along, not allowing her the chance to glance Crocodile's way.

Mid-way down the hallway, when no others were around, Usopp weakly muttered, "I don't like it here, what with that storm raging on outside and this being, well, Doflamingo's _nest_."

Nodding in agreement, Luffy asked, "Do you think he'll try anything while we're here…? Him and Crocodile are in an alliance, right?"

Daz—who was leading them down the hall—stopped abruptly before glancing back and revealing a blank expression. "If anything happens, I'll take care of it. Just don't get in the way." And with that, he turned his attention forward and continued on.

Sharing a frown with Usopp, Luffy leaned in to quietly ask, "Is Daz more than just a driver?"

Usopp, eyes widening, shrugged. "I've heard…_rumors_," he answered softly, wincing when Daz cocked his head to the side, as if he heard them whispering. The gardener didn't say anything more about him after that.

As they neared what appeared to be the social room, Luffy quickly stated, "Well, I won't worry because I have the great Usopp here to protect me, right?"

"Eh…" Usopp objected, casting his gaze aside and causing her to look to him with confusion. "You _could_ say that…"

Before she had the chance to respond, she was greeted by the sweet smells of warm treats and a blazing fireplace. Pulling away from Usopp, she darted for the back of the room, hands shooting out for the tray of treats before the fire. _Are these pastries? Cakes…? __**Candies?**_

As her fingers reached out for the first item on the platter, a brief low laugh filled the room, prompting her to cast her gaze aside towards the source. Blinking, she smiled when she caught a familiar face looking her way. Sitting on a couch with arms spread out upon the back, Law cocked a brow and simply asked, "You can never resist food, can you?"

Pulling her hand back towards her chest, she faintly said, "Law." She took a step towards him, leaving her food be and folding her hands together over her waist. "It's nice to see you again," she added, fighting back the urge to grin like a fool.

Sitting up, a frown took to his face as he looked her over. "You're soaking wet," he commented as he reached across the couch to pick up a throw blanket. Getting up, he went to drape it over her head, drawing her towards the fire. "You'll catch a cold if you don't dry yourself."

"Thank you," she responded, tugging the blanket closer around her body. While most of her body was indeed cold from the rain, her cheeks couldn't help but feel warm at that moment.

The clearing of somebody's voice drew her attention back, eyes finding Usopp's as he stared at them with interest. Picking at a treat, he went to sit besides Daz—who had his arms crossed and attention thrown out through a window—and said, "I didn't know you had, uh, friends here, Luffy?"

Blinking, she turned fully towards him and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. After a moment, Law pulled away from her and took to the couch on the other side of the room, slouching back when somebody else entered the room.

"Brother, brother, brother Law!" the person sang as they entered, short choppy blonde hair swaying. "Is these the guests?" he asked in a high pitch voice, almost feminine. Cupping his cheeks, he leaned forward to glance Luffy's way. "Look at them all!"

"_Dellinger_," Law commented quietly when the younger male approached Luffy quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"Boss wants me to help you babysit!" Dellinger announced happily as he picked at the hem of Luffy's throw blanket, wide hungry eyes meeting hers. "You're a croc-o-dile, are you not?" Before she had the chance to answer, he quickly added, voice now deeper than ever before, "Don't think I'm scared of you—I'll kill you if I have to!"

From the corner of her eye, Luffy could see Daz tensing up, as if expecting something bad to happen; however, Dellinger was silenced when Law called him out.

"Sit down then and stop being a pester," he harshly ordered, prompting the young blonde to twirl around a pout.

Sticking his fists out behind him, he objected with his tone now softer, "I was just trying to make a friend, Law!" He proceeded to slip his tongue out at Law, expression his frustrations. But in the end, he took to sitting down, legs crossing and hands folding together over his lap. "They're the boring lot, aren't they?" he asked then, cocking a brow Luffy's way. "Where's the boss, the boss? I want to see the boss!"

A giggle fit escaped the Dellinger then, his hand shooting up to hide his wide grin.

Turning his attention away from the fireplace and towards the younger male, Law dully answered, "Doflamingo is meeting with him, remember?"

When Luffy took her seat beside Usopp, Dellinger glanced upwards towards the ceiling and frowned. "His office is just above this room…" His gaze widened, the wide grin forming once more. "I bet if you let me stand on your shoulders, I can listen in on what they're saying!"

Law shook his head, arms crossing. "I'm not going to have you dig your heels into my shoulders."

And as the two continued to argue on the matter, Luffy was left to look to Usopp, watching as he gazed back nervously towards the back window. "It's really pouring out there," he observed, hands snaking together to create warmth. "And it's getting darker by the second…"

"It'll pass," Daz calmly commented, eyes still glued on the two opposite of them. He stiffened in his seat when a round of thunder erupted. "All storms reach an end, eventually."

Pouting, Luffy brought the blanket in more, practically covering most of her face. While she was never one to fear thunder, she did, at that moment, find herself uneasy for some reason. Perhaps it was because they were in a different territory, or maybe it was because the storm was ever-growing. Whatever it may be, Luffy had a feeling that a rough night was in store for all of them.

Dellinger shot out of his seat, quickly running towards the light switch. "I know what we can do to pass the time!"

As he switched the power off in the room, Law sat up in his seat, throwing a fat frown Dellinger's way. "What are you doing? Turn the lights back on!"

"No, no, no!" Dellinger objected as he took to the middle of the room. The fire from the fireplace highlighted the left side of his face while his right side remained hidden in shadows. "Let's tell spooky stories, yeah?" he asked, looking directly at Luffy and Usopp.

"This is ridiculous," Daz said then, tone clearly annoyed. "We didn't come here to play games."

Dellinger gave out a whiny moan, sending a dismissing wave of his hand Daz's way. "Boring, boring!" He leaned in towards Luffy and Usopp, lifting one finger towards his cheek. "You want to tell scary stories, right? You two are fun, right?"

"_Dellinger_," Law stressed from his seat, "they don't want to bother with your silly games."

"Okay!" Luffy found herself stating, happily so. She did enjoy stories—Usopp's tales always brought a smile to her face, and where was the harm in sharing some tales that moment? "I like that idea."

Shocked, Law shook his head no and objected. "_Luffy!_ Don't give into him like that!" When he went to add something else, Dellinger quickly twirled around and shook one slender finger before his face.

"Nope, not going to stop this train of fun!" Dellinger announced, happily so. "_All you boring people can leave~_" He proceeded to turn back around and take Luffy by the hand, drawing her away from the couch and down upon the floor beside him. "I'll start, okay?"

A deep exhale escaped Daz as he got up. "I don't want any part of this," he stated as he head for the door, not bothering to send any of them another look.

"Luffy, are you sure it's okay to be doing this?" Usopp asked after a moment, slipping down from his seat and onto the floor. "Aren't you…_scared?_"

"No," she objected firmly, even if it was partially a lie. "Are you, the great Usopp, scared?"

Widening his stare, he quickly shook his head and puffed out his chest. "I fear nothing!" Snapping his attention to Dellinger, he proudly added, "Give me your best shot!"

The sound of flesh slapping together filled the room, prompting Luffy to glance upwards at Law. He had his palm pressed against his forehead, eyes shut. "I can't believe you three are actually doing this," he muttered out.

Huffing, Dellinger angrily retorted, "If Brother Law finds this idea boring, he can leave!" When the blonde returned his full attention towards Usopp and Luffy, he smiled and added, "_I got a good story to tell you all~_"

And with the thunder rolling outside, Dellinger went on to explain an old tale about how the mansion was haunted by the spirit of a previous owner. "He lingers about the hallways every night, starting around this time," he'd explain, voice low and intimidating. "And rumor has it that if you run into him, you're as good as dead!"

A loud screech of a laugh escaped him, causing Usopp to jump up and grow pale in the face. "You're…you're joking, r-r-right?" the gardener asked, hands shaking as he clutched onto Luffy's arm.

Swallowing, Luffy nodded in agreement, clearly just as shaken up as Usopp. "There's not really a ghost, right?"

Dellinger waved a finger at them, ignoring Law when he let out a low huff. "Doflamingo once ran into him many years ago—that's why he always wears those glasses…the ghost carved out his eyes!"

"_No!_" Usopp gasped.

"_**Yes!**_" Dellinger screamed.

Thunder gave way and Luffy brought the blanket completely over her head. She believed him and his story—the thought of a ghost wondering about left a bone-chilling fear within her. _And it's late! Just about the time Dellinger said he'd appear!_ "I want to go home now," she whimpered from under the blanket.

"I second this!" Usopp agreed, body jerking when a branch broke outside.

Sighing, Law arose. "You three are idiots," he declared as he went for the light switch. When he flipped it, nothing happened. A moment later, he flipped it again, yet nothing happened.

Peering out from under the blanket, she watched as he glanced down the hallway before reentering the social room with a grim expression. "I think the power is out…"

"It's the ghost!" Usopp almost screamed between chattering teeth.

"No, it's not," Law tried to explain, but stopped when the fire beside them died out quickly. That prompted Luffy to jump up and scoot back towards the window. "Stop," he told her when he met her worried stare. "There is no ghost here."

Usopp was the next to jump up, legs shaking as he glanced about frantically. "I knew coming here would be the death of me!"

Dellinger giggled in delight from his seat, wide eyes watching the scene unfold before him. "The ghost is angry at you two! He's furious that new people are here! Furious! Furious!" His hands clapped together when Usopp made a bolt for the door, crying out something about waiting out in the car.

Law tried to stop him, but failed, being pushed aside by the terrified gardener as he ran down the hallway. "Dellinger, stop it!"

Something above clattered loudly, followed by the strangest grunt of a moan. That led Dellinger to silence his laughter, standing up quickly as he glared upwards. "What…what was that?" he asked, voice soft and timid and almost scared.

Cupping her cheeks, Luffy took to the blonde's side in the middle of the room. She figured the closer she was to somebody familiar with the mansion, the lesser the ghost would be angry at her. "It's him," she whispered harshly, eyes wide as she looked Law's way. "Why didn't you mention you guys had a ghost here before!"

At least if Law had warned her, she would have come prepared.

"There isn't one," Law objected in a firm voice, pulling away from the door frame to approach the two. "Dellinger made it all up."

The howling of wind came to life.

Something loud crashed up above.

And a blinding white light filled the room.

That was enough to cause Luffy to abandon all hope and bolt for the door, blanket flutter behind her. She could hear Dellinger's shriek and Law's loud order for him to shut up, but she kept going, heading straight down the hall for whatever room she could find first.

She found the kitchen, room dark except for a few rays of moonlight sinking in through one window. It was cold inside, her body beginning to shiver as she slowed down her pace to glance around. From what she could tell, there was a mess on the floor—pots and pans and food scattered about.

Someone moved in the corner.

"You," the voice said, tone low and horrid.

Widening her stare, her mouth fell ajar as the figure stepped forth into the moonlight, face a deadly white and expression hard. It was the ghost—it _had_ to be the ghost.

She screamed.

And ran the opposite direction into the darkness of Doflamingo's mansion.

* * *

**Law's POV**

It had been half an hour since the power went out and when the fiasco that followed started. Luffy's friend, whoever he was, was the first to leave the social room, screaming at the top of his lungs as he headed for the exit. Law had tried his best to stop the fool and talk some sense into him, but the man's fear made him strong—strong enough to push Law aside.

So, that left him with his idiot _brother_, Dellinger, and Luffy.

And it seemed that Dellinger had bought into his own story, frantically glancing about as noises from the _storm_ and not some stupid ghost filled the mansion. It was his screaming that most likely drew Luffy into a panic, prompting her to make a run for it, no matter how loudly he called out for her.

It was Law's job to make sure everything went smoothly among those who tagged along with Crocodile, and he was failing miserably. While he was rather glad Luffy was there, he was annoyed—_angry_—at how everything quickly grew sour.

And he proceeded to spend the half an hour looking for everybody, but more specifically, Luffy.

Law discovered her hiding under the dining hall table, blanket wrapped around her tightly and covering the top of her head. She looked almost a child then, so fearful and small. And as he knelt down upon the floor to scoot in next to her, he could see her figure shivering.

"Luffy?" he asked, making sure to keep his tone soft.

Her wide eyes peeped out from under the blanket, searching his. "I saw him," she muttered, tone blank of emotion. "The ghost—I _saw_ him."

Law shook his head, exhaling softly. "You couldn't have because there _isn't_ a ghost here." His hand reached out to touch her shoulder. He was never good at comforting others, and doing that was the best he knew of. "I've lived here for many years—you'd think I'd seen this ghost by now, wouldn't you?"

A pout formed upon her lips and she ended up crossing her arms—something he noticed that she did when frustrated. "I did see him, though, in the kitchen! Are you calling me a liar?" Her once worried stare had morphed into anger.

"No, I'm not," he explained, hand drawing the blanket away from her face so he could get a better look. "I think with the storm raging on outside and Dellinger's stupid story, you've gotten spooked and are maybe seeing things because of such."

Huffing, Luffy objected by shaking his hand off her shoulder. "I'm not crazy, if that's what you're saying."

Law ran his hand up the side of his face, fingers weaving through his hair. "I'm not saying that at all, Luffy…" Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, a flash of lightning danced across the room followed by a roar. That prompted the maid to whimper out and lean in towards him, arms wrapping around his torso and face pinning against his chest.

"_Law_," she whined, holding him tight. While she was a tiny thing, he had to give her credit for having a strong grip.

Inhaling deeply, he pressed his hand to her back. He wasn't one for close contact as such, and while he was a bit uncomfortable due to such, he did like the feeling of her needing him like that. He gently placed his other hand over her crown, fingers tracing her soft dark hair.

"It'll be alright," he informed her, running his hand along her back. "I won't let…I won't let this _ghost_ get you."

Luffy pulled her face away from him, her hands dropping to her lap. "You mean it?" she questioned him softly, face a bit flustered and hair a bit messy.

He liked that look.

His hand fell on top of hers, fingers wrapping around the side of her palm. "Luffy," he began only to find the rest of his words trapped in his throat. She was leaning in towards him, her eyes half fluttered shut, cheeks warming up into a shade of pink…

And as he leaned in towards her face, the sound of footsteps stopped her. Luffy—hearing them as well—pulled away and frantically glanced aside, eyes widening. She scooted back, a low whimper building in her throat.

"Who goes there?" Law called out sternly as he crawled forward to get out from under the table. He could hear Luffy's protests, but ignored them.

* * *

**Luffy's POV**

She watched in horror as Law crawled out from under the table to confront the ghost. It was silent after that and her eyes were glued on their feet. Law had backed up a bit but the other figure—the ghost most likely—kept still.

The lights shot back on.

And the figure knelt down and as she prepared to scream out, she found herself holding her breath when meeting a pair of familiar dull eyes.

With face covered in a white substance, Daz glared at her, expression annoyed. "There you are," he stated, tone harsh. "I've been looking for you ever since you ran out of the kitchen. What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't you recognize me?"

Exhaling, she felt her shoulders grow limp. "You're not the ghost…?"

"_What ghost?_" Daz shot back, standing up now. When she crawled out from the table, she noticed that Law was standing by the doorframe, a fat smirk on his lips. "Is it because of the flour?" Daz continued, voice growing annoyed. "When the power went out, I bumped into a cupboard and a bag of this stuff fell all over me…"

Chewing on her bottom lip, she glanced about nervously before looking up into his eyes and softly asking, "So there isn't a ghost?"

He rolled his eyes, but Law answered for him. "No, Luffy, there isn't a ghost."

She crossed her arms, fighting back the urge to pout. Luffy felt silly then, embarrassed almost. Lowering her brows, she went to ask, "Then how about all those other noises we heard?"

Daz shrugged briefly, turning around and glancing out the window. "The storm, most likely."

Somebody else entered the room, pushing Law aside as he glared Luffy and Daz's way. "There you two are," Crocodile practically growled, expression full of frustration and rage. "We're leaving," he informed the two as his eyes darted to Daz's face, brows lowering. "I won't even ask what happened to you."

Doflamingo's voice filled the room, prompting Crocodile to stiffen up. "_Crocodile_, sweetheart, no need to throw a fit like this! I told you already, it was all an accident."

Turning around and taking step back from the mass of feathers, he stuck one finger up and shook his head. "No," he stated firmly. "That wasn't an accident. _None_ of this was an accident. You fucking planned all of this."

Cocking a brow, Luffy softly asked, "What happened?" That only earned her one hard stare from her employer and a sly one from Doflamingo.

"Listen, babe, the old man just fell over in the dark, that's it," Doflamingo explained to her, tongue slithering out across his lower lip. "And just like the kind soul I am, I went to go help him up, just in case he broke a hip or something."

Crocodile's gaze widened, lips barely falling ajar. "That wasn't helping me," he snapped back. "You practically straddled me!" His hand balled up into a fist a moment later, realizing what he just said. "I mean…no, not _straddled_…but…"

"Oh," Doflamingo purred, leaning in slightly and causing Crocodile to back up some more. "I did more than just that."

"I'm never coming back to this hell hole of a nest," Crocodile announced as he took Luffy's wrist tightly, tugging her after him as he went for the hallway, Daz quickly following suit. "It's some fucking coincidence that the power goes out _just_ when I'm alone with that bastard," he muttered to himself, fingers digging into her flesh. "I'll kill him if he ever goes near me like that again!"

Luffy glanced back towards Law and offered him a weak look, knowing full well that the visit was now over. She felt bad that she wasted whatever precious time she had with him fretting over a fake ghost. Mouthing out a silent _goodbye_ to him, she returned her attention forward and tried to keep up with Crocodile's pace so that he wasn't dragging her.

Doflamingo's voice bounced about the hallway. "What about dinner?"

"Shove it up your ass," Crocodile snapped back, not waiting for Daz to open the mansion door for him, darting outside and straight into the rain. "I should have known better than to visit that trash." When they approached the cars, Luffy found Usopp and Bon Clay waiting inside.

Crocodile released her hand and went to open the door of the car. Once inside, he flicked his attention to her and before she even had the chance to say anything, he sternly declared, "Nobody will ever mention this day again. It _didn't_ happen." And with that, the door was slammed shut and their visit terminated.

* * *

**End Short Story Three**

* * *

**A/N: **I know not a lot happened between Law and Luffy, and while I would have loved to put more, uh, fluffy interaction between the two, I didn't want them to be closer in the side story than they ever were in the main story, if that makes sense. Trust me, if I ever do a side story again and it's beyond a certain point of LawLu's relationship, I'll have a ton more side story options ranging from fluff to smut of just LawLu. : )

I'm also sorry for taking longer than usual to update. The past two weeks have been trying in my personal life and I've had little time to write.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story! It really means a lot to mean that all of you readers (new and old) have stuck around to read my trainwreck! Thank you.**

**Cereza101:** Awww, I'm with you on that. I think a Crocodile plushie would be so freaking adorable. They can all have plushies of each other to deal with all the feelers, haha. Thanks for reading! :D

**Starlight555:** Yes, Crocodile is messed up, and he has plans for Luffy. I'm trying to make it more psychological, where he wants to mess her up mentally in a way as the old man messed him up, but to a certain extent. Like, he'd never really physically harm her in any way (like with how the old man cut off his hand), maybe get rough in, uh, the bedroom, but he'd never do her harm just because or to teach her a lesson. And yeah, totally, Doflamingo can be very manipulative (probably more so than Crocodile could ever be). If/when Crocodile finds out, Luffy &amp; Law will be in some serious trouble. Thanks for reading! :D

**TissureCube:** AHH I love your reaction! I'm glad you found it intense; that was what I was aiming for! Thank you so much for reading! :D

** 22: **Thank you so much! :D

**Stardustadventurer: **Mmmm, we'll see what happens between Law and Luffy and what he has to say. And yes, of course, one of my goals is to transition Crocodile into that place of learning how to trust again, and we'll see if Luffy is the person for him to do as such. And as you said, it's clearly only sexual for him at this point in their relationship. Thank you so much for reading! :D

**Askana:** Aw, thank you so much! I'm happy that this chapter made this version of Crocodile more, uh, relatable? Sympathetic? I'm not sure what it made him, but I'm glad you feel this way. Thank you for reading! :D

**Milkachocolate:** Awwwwww, stop, you're making me blush. No no no, nothing you say comes out weird—it fuels my writer ego, haha. The compliments are like drugs to me, thank you so much. LOL that threeway idea ain't so bad—I might have to do that! (Just Kidding) Thank you so much for reading! :D

**Quiet-Invisible-Bookworm:** Aw, thank you! And yeah, I totally get you with her being so naïve! But she'll grow out of that by the end. And I'm really happy you mentioned that you don't board the smut-train because sometimes I get worried that the story isn't enjoyable/doesn't make sense if you take out all the M-rated scenes. But from what it appears, you're enjoying it, so thank you so much for bringing that up. :D

**Son of Whitebeard:** Yes! She totally is! When I was first starting this story, I was going through the list of characters of who I wanted to be the maid and then it hit me that freaking Tsuru has that cleaning/laundry like DF power and is perfect as the head maid!

**Anon:** OOOOOOOhhhh (O/3/O) You want to marry me? ME? *blushes* Okay~~~~ I don't want to give away too much about how Robin will feel when she finds out, but it'll be to the point where Luffy and Robin's relationship is very strained .Thank you for reading! Because of you readers, I have the motivation to write, so thank you very much for the support! :D

**BrightAsNight:** I'm glad you feel all these mixed emotions! One of my main goals here is to have the reader question themselves if they should hate Crocodile or feel bad for him. Yes, he had a terrible past, but does that fully excuse his actions? But thank you so much for reading this story and expression your thoughts on his past! :D

**annaashiqa**: Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. It appears the last chapter you read was chapter 12, so I dunno when you'll get up to this point and read this, but hello and thank you so much for enjoying this story! Thank you! :D


	26. Wedding Bells

**Warning: Smut train is back in the station—you know the drill: oOoOoOoOoOo signals m-rated territory.**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Wedding Bells

Crocodile was already working on his third cigar by the time she started dressing him that morning.

It was more than obvious to Luffy that the day's future events were having a toll on him, leaving him in a sour mood and easily irritated. During the night, she had awoken to find him at his desk, smoking with a heavy expression as he worked his way through stacks of papers. When she called out his name, he only ordered her to go back to sleep. And as she awoke again later, she found him at the edge of his bed with his hook between his knees as he cleaned it with a cloth.

That time, when she addressed him, he glanced back at her briefly before stating, "Let's just get this day _over _with."

On tip-toes, she ran her hands across his shoulders to flatten out his suit top, falling back down gently upon her heels to look him up and down once. "You look nice," she told him, smiling just a tad—somebody _had_ to smile that day.

He threw her a grim look before turning to examine himself in the mirror. His hand went for his forearm, and she couldn't help but notice the pained look in his eyes as his fingers dug around his stump. "It'll suffice," he simply responded, pulling away before heading towards his desk to lay his cigar down into a tray. Sitting in his chair, he leaned back and sighed, fingers tapping on the armrest.

When his gaze met hers a moment later, he gestured to the chair across from his desk and she took to it, crossing her feet and folding her hands together upon her lap. "You'll be in charge while I'm gone for the week," he informed her dryly.

Blinking twice, she titled her head slightly and questioned, "What of Tsuru…?"

"She's traveling with us," he explained before reaching out for his cigar, bringing it to his lips and inhaling deeply. After a slow exhaled, he added, "Robin _insists_ that her mother tag along, so I'll have Tsuru come to tend to the woman. Robin is also bringing along those two useless servants of hers, and I'm taking the chef and Daz for obvious reasons."

Nodding, Luffy couldn't help but say, "That doesn't leave many for me to be in charge of." If at all, she would only be in charge of Usopp and Coby, while Hawkins and the stable keeper would more than likely keep to themselves in the guest house.

He smirked softly. "That's why I put you in charge just for this week. Just make sure the mansion keeps spotless, and if the phone should ring for me, simply write down the message and leave it on my desk." His smirk grew slightly. "That shouldn't be too much of a task for you, correct?"

Luffy nodded silently.

"I'll make sure to call sometime during the week to check up on things," Crocodile added before removing his cigar from his mouth. He rolled it between his fingers for a moment. "Will you be able to fare without me for a week?"

A small smile grew on her face. "I think so," she answered, eyes searching the amusement on his face. "But," she began to ask, arching a brow, "why even go if your marriage to Robin is fake? What's the point?" While she figured honeymoon vacations were meant for entertainment, she didn't see Crocodile as the fun-having type of man, so it puzzled her as to why he was going in the first place.

"To keep up with appearances," he explained before glancing upwards at the ceiling. "And I wouldn't mind a small vacation—a shame I can't bring you along; that would only raise suspicions with the mother." When his gaze returned back down to hers, she nodded slightly.

His reasoning made enough sense to her, so she decided to terminate any uneasy feelings she had started to create that morning. "_Well_," she said, happily so as she pressed her hands to her knees, "I'll take care of everything here for you while you're gone!"

He arched his brows at her amusement and after a long second, said, "I also expect to return to the mansion with the food _still _stocked." Getting up from his seat, he sent her a dismissing wave before adding, "You being in charge does not mean you get a free for all with the food storage."

Luffy pouted slightly, surprised that he was clever enough to think of that. _I was hoping he wouldn't bring the food up…I was looking forward to eating to my heart's desire!_ "I wasn't going to eat it _all_," she objected softly, frowning because even she knew that _that_ was a terrible lie.

"I mean it," he responded as he headed for his bedroom door. "If I return here to any supplies missing more than acceptable, I'll dock it out of your pay." He opened the door and turned to her, rolling the cigar to the other corner of his mouth. "Go make sure everybody is getting ready and meet me out in front in half an hour."

Luffy gently got out of her seat before pushing the chair in. "You're not going to the church with Robin and her mother?" she questioned as she approached him, stopping when he glanced down at her.

Crocodile did a quick eye roll before exhaling a puff of smoke towards her. "Her mother wants to keep to traditions—grooms are _never_ supposed to see the bride before the wedding."

* * *

Luffy was alone with Lady Olvia in the dining hall, pouring her a cup of tea. The woman resembled Robin greatly, so much so that it spooked the maid a little bit, and the confidence in her stare outmatched her daughter's greatly. Yet, she had a grace to her as well, keeping silent as she sipped her tea and eyed Luffy across the room.

And when she spoke, her tone calm and collected, she easily drew all attention towards her. "My daughter is very fond of you," she revealed, placing her cup down gently before folding her hands together. "She says that you are as kind as you are entertaining."

Luffy smiled briefly and nodded once.

"Robin even went to say that she considers you a friend."

Licking her bottom lip, Luffy nodded once more before saying, "And I consider Lady Robin a friend as well—she is very nice to me." She shifted her weight over to her right leg, glancing towards the window when Olvia wouldn't stop looking at her.

The woman took a sip from her tea. "It is reassuring to know my daughter has such a person here in this mansion," she explained before pausing for a moment. "But, as her mother, I am weary of your allegiance."

Blinking, Luffy quickly glanced back to Olvia's stare. "_Allegiance?_"

Arching a brow, the woman smiled thinly. "You do understand what I'm getting at, yes? You were hired by _him_ and not by my family, so how am I to know your best of intentions are for my daughter and not your employer?"

_Best of intentions…?_ Frowning slightly, Luffy brought her hands together over her waist, searching the woman's concerned expression. "I would never _intentionally_ harm Robin, if that's what you're trying to get at…"

Olvia smiled once more, nodding once before tracing the rim of her cup with her finger. "Of course you wouldn't," she responded, tone dry. Inhaling, her gaze hardened as she added, "If it ever came right down to it, would your loyalty stand with Robin or with Crocodile?"

Luffy held her breath, taken aback by the statement. She never thought of it that way, and while she was fond of each person for different reasons, Luffy found herself hesitant in answering.

"Your silence gives you away," Olvia commented as she arose. Turning around, she headed for the doorframe. "Do not lead my daughter on as her friend if you're _his _dog."

Luffy's stare widened as she watched the woman leave, mouth falling slightly ajar. While she could understand her being protective over Robin, she had no idea why Olvia was so aggressive. Frowning, she found herself wanting to run after the woman and question her on her actions and decisions. _If she is worried over Robin, why marry her off to Crocodile?_

Sighing, Luffy shook her head, clearing her mind of the matter. _I'll never understand rich people._

* * *

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Crocodile had her sit with him in his car, waiting for Daz to start up the engine and take them over to the church. Robin, her mother, Nami, and Zoro were going to take a separate car over later in the day, as to avoid them seeing each other, as per Olvia's requests. Usopp and Sanji, according to Tsuru, were already at the church setting the grounds up for the reception.

And that left Luffy alone to tend fully to Crocodile and help him prepare for the wedding.

When Daz took to the driver's seat—the window between passenger and driver rolled up as to give privacy—the engine was cranked on and the car began to roll down the drive. Luffy and Crocodile sat silently there for a moment, him smoking his fourth cigar and her staring out the window.

She really didn't have any ideas what to say to him then. He was about to get married, and even though he—and Robin—considered it a farce, Luffy couldn't help but think it a huge step in his life. What could she possibly say about it that wouldn't come off as awkward?

As the car approached the gates, she sighed softly and turned to look his way. Her eyes searched his face, taking in his blank expression. "Are you alright?" she questioned then. _It's better than saying nothing…_

Crocodile's stare found hers, the life slowly returning to his eyes. "I'm fine," he answered dryly, leaning back in his seat as his gaze fell down her frame. "Unbutton the top of your uniform."

Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "What?"

Turning his body aside, he went to roll down his window. "You heard me," he calmly answered, tossing his cigar out before rolling the glass back up. His attention returned back to her and after a moment, he exhaled before reaching out for her wrist. When he had her in his grip, he tugged her across the seat towards him, working her so she had her back against his chest. "This will be the last time we'll be alone in a _long_ time," he informed her, pressing his mouth to her ear.

He sounded tired, traces of frustration in his voice.

Luffy inhaled deeply when he snaked his arm—the one with the stump—around her waist to pull her in closer and onto his lap. "But we're not alone," she whispered, gaze trailing over to the dark glass separating them from the Daz.

His hand went for the buttons of her uniform, working them undone quickly, as if in a hurry. "Pretend he's not there," he suggested, slipping his hand underneath the fabric when he had four of the buttons done. He cupped her breast before pressing his thumb against her nipple, earning a soft whine from the maid. "It will be _at least_ a week before I can touch you like this again," he added before lowering his mouth to her jaw.

Part of her wanted to stop him, to tell him it was wrong to do this on his _wedding _day, but another part of her wanted to give in entirely—to submit to him as she did so many times before. Fear of Daz hearing her kept her from vocalizing her thoughts, however. Instead, she brought her hand up to cup his, her other hand gripping the back of the seat to keep her steady.

He pulled his hand out from under the fabric to finish the rest of the buttons. "Spread your legs," he order quietly into her ear as he pushed his hand back down under the uniform, fingers tracing the slip before drawing it upwards. When she did as he ordered, his hand worked its way under the waistband of her bloomers, quickly finding her center to explore.

"_Crocodile_," she weakly whispered, biting down on her bottom lip afterwards.

He responded by inserting a finger.

Luffy clamped her thighs together over his hand as she tried to control her breathing. Her skin was getting warmer by the second and his breath against her ear sent shivers down her spine.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

When the movements of the car came to a rolling stop, Crocodile stopped working his fingers. She could feel his head glance aside behind her, breathing slow. "_What is it?_" he called out loudly, prompting her to tug the right flap of her uniform back over her chest.

Daz's voice—muffled a bit—filled the car. "_Sir…_" he stated, but nothing else followed.

Lowering her brows, Luffy watched as a car crept near Crocodile's, and for a moment, she could see inside through the window. It was Robin and her group, causing her to stiffen up and fall back against the seat so they wouldn't be able to see her as she was.

"_Shit,_" Crocodile muttered out, frown quickly forming under his scar. "They weren't supposed to leave the mansion until later…" His tone was angry and the look in his eyes as he glared out through the window sent a fear through Luffy.

"Did they see me?" she asked, almost a panicked whisper. _What if Robin saw? _"Did _she_ see me?" she asked again, frantic eyes lifting up to meet his as she buttoned up her uniform.

"_**No**_," he answered harshly, clearly not interested in Luffy's little panic. Shifting in his seat, he leaned forward and watched as the other car continued down the street. "The bitch won't even allow me a moment alone," he stated, more to himself.

Slumping back in his seat, he sat there in silence for a moment before snapping and ordering Daz to drive. "Run them off the road, if you can," he added.

* * *

When they arrived to the church, Luffy was left alone to do as she wished while Crocodile went to investigate what exactly Olvia was doing in regards to speeding the wedding up. Many of the guests had already arrived, it seemed, with most of them being complete strangers to the maid. Of the few people she happened to converse with after arriving, they claimed to be either Robin's relatives or friends of the family.

Yet, there were familiar faces as well.

She found Iceberg at the open bar, glass of what appeared to be some dark liquor in hand. When they locked eyes, he gestured for her to approach him, offering her a soft smile and a pleased stare. "If it isn't the sweet young maid," he greeted her, pressing his glass to his lips afterwards to take a sip. Wincing after, he laughed and added, "Crocodile's a _sonofabitch_ but he sure has wonderful taste in regards to alcohol."

Offering him a thin smile, Luffy took to leaning against the bar counter, eyes searching the rows of bottles behind the barkeep. _They spared no expenses_, she thought as she took in all the champagne bottles. Returning her attention to the mayor, she smiled once more and said, "Hello."

Iceberg nodded, pressing his glass down to the counter. "Forgive me—I've seem to misplaced your name…?"

"Luffy," she quickly answered. It felt odd at that moment for her to talk so causally with the mayor, to see him so relaxed and face slightly red from his drink. _I wonder when he started drinking today…_

"Ah, yes, yes, Luffy—the little maid of Crocodile's," he stated as he leaned back against the counter. "And tell me, young Luffy, how are you on such a joyous day as this?"

Tilting her head, Luffy shrugged. "I'm doing fine," she answered, glancing off to the side when she caught a group of men moving a table around. "And you?" she questioned as she returned her gaze back to him.

Iceberg offered her another smile before lifting his glass up. "I'm doing _great_," he happily answered, throwing back another drink. "I'm still a little taken aback by the whole idea of Crocodile getting married." Pausing, he looked down at his shoes, eyes widening briefly. "I've known him for years and I never guessed him the type to settle down—hell, I never took him for the type to be romantic." His eyes met hers and a smirk formed. "I keep thinking this is a ploy to gather us all up and kill us in one go, you know?"

Luffy laughed quietly at his statement. That sounded like something Crocodile would do. Even though she personally knew the truth behind the arrangement, she wondered what this wedding must appear to others unknowing. _It's like what Crocodile said: keeping up with appearances…_

"Are you ready?" Iceberg asked then, earning her full attention once more.

"For what?"

He sent her an amused expression. "Well, for starters, you're going to have to tend to the misses now."

Mouthing an _Oh_, Luffy shook her head and said, "She's been staying in the mansion for a while now—I'm used to helping her out."

Iceberg nodded, gaze dulling. "Then how about hatchlings, hmm?" His smile grew. "Imagine _him_ with little ones? The thought sends chills down my back!" He shook his head slowly. "Husband material? Unlikely. _Father?_ Hell no."

Luffy frowned weakly at that, brows lowering. "Children?" she found herself muttering out, earning a stiff nod from the mayor. "I…I don't think that will ever happen…"

Iceberg shrugged as he cocked a brow. "And I never figured he'd get hitched, but look at him now. People _can_ change, it seems—you learn that when you've lived as long as I have…" Sighing, he pushed himself away from the counter. "I'm going to go mingle with the other guests—discuss politics and what not." Turning around, he offered her a half-bow and a wave of his hand. "Have fun today—maybe you'll even meet your future husband? Weddings always seem to have that magical aspect to them…" With a smile, he turned and left, heading into the mass of people forming upon the church grounds.

The second familiar face she stumbled upon belonged to the Madame of the brothel she visited months ago—back before she knew about Robin. Hancock, dressed in a fine red silk dress, stood tall among all the other ladies, part of her bust viewable. She earned many odd looks and hungry stares, but in the end, she didn't seem to pay any attention.

If at all, it appeared as if she were looking for something.

Or _someone._

And when the older woman spotted Luffy observing her from corner of the church grounds, a flustered look formed upon her face. The woman seemed to have the power to split the crowd as she _quickly_ made her way towards the maid, never breaking eye contact.

Realizing that Hancock was heading for her, Luffy twirled around, balling up her hands into fists as she glanced about for a safe place to hide. Biting down on her bottom lip, she took in the two options she had: either run into the crowd and try to blend in, or head for the graveyard on the other side of the church. She went for the latter, making sure to keep up to a fast pace so that the older woman couldn't see where she was going.

Hancock's faint voice echoed through the air, causing Luffy to hurry up. "_Luffy!_" she cried out over and over again, voice growing weaker and weaker with every step the maid distanced herself from her. "_Where did you go?"_

_I don't want to get mixed up with that woman again…_

Holding her breath, she darted for a lining of willow trees, scurrying behind a trunk and holding still. A moment of waiting later and she heard the sound of figs and sticks breaking underfoot as a person searched around.

"Luffy?" Hancock called out, tone soft and almost panicked. After a few long seconds, a low whine escaped her. "_Oh_, she must have gotten lost back in the crowd of people! My darling little pet needs me~"

The scuffling of feet filled the small graveyard and after a minute, Luffy dared to peep around the trunk. Her eyes darted about, scanning the area and once she determined the woman had returned back to the front of the church, she released a sigh of relief. Pressing her back against the tree, she allowed her arms to fall to her sides as she looked upwards through the willow branches, taking in the grey gloomy clouds overhead.

_It'll rain soon…_

The snapping of a branch caused her to cast her gaze aside, searching for the source. _Did Hancock come back?_ Chewing on her inner cheek, she tensed up when she caught somebody move from behind a gravestone. Her eyes widened.

"_Luffy?_" His voice was quiet, eyes glancing about—not yet finding her. "Are you here?"

Swallowing, she appeared from behind the trunk, folding her arms over her chest from a sudden chill. Blinking twice, she took a handful of steps towards him before calling out to him, his name rolling off her tongue easily. "Law?"

His body turned her way, eyes meeting hers dead-on.

While Luffy was truly happy to see him again, the memories of their prior interaction left a bad sting in her gut. He didn't appear angry—at least, not as angry as he did when he stormed off. If at all, he seemed calm and collected and a bit stiff.

"Luffy," he said once more, approaching her until they were a few feet apart. From the corner of her eye, she caught his hand start to rise but fall quickly back to his side. "I," he began slowly, eyes drifting away from her stare. "I saw that woman chase you back here…" When he glanced back to her, he became mute.

Luffy nodded at his statement, fingers tightening around the sides of her torso. Inhaling deeply, she tilted her head, glanced back up at the skies and exhaled. "It's going to rain," she said before allowing her gaze to fall back down to his face.

Law flicked his stare upwards for a moment and nodded in agreement. "It appears as such," he commented quietly. "It'll most likely dampen the mood of the wedding." Pausing, he went to cross his arms as well, body slightly relaxing after a slow exhale. "We need to talk about the other day."

Widening her stare, Luffy leaned in to take a step before stopping herself. "I'm sorry—I never wanted to anger you."

Law shook his head _no_ as he lifted his palm up to stop her. "No," he said then, tone firm, "I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have left like I did." Pausing, he pressed his hand to the back of his neck, clearly trying to search for the next words to say. "I should have stayed and talked it through more with you."

Luffy lifted her hands up to clasp together over her clavicle, relieved that he still wanted to talk to her; however, she remained silent, unsure of how to respond to him at that moment.

Rolling his shoulders, he explained, "I went and talked about it with…" His gaze left hers to glance about the yards for a moment. "With Corazon, and…"

"_And?_" she found herself asking after he trailed off.

"And he convinced me that I should go find you and discuss the situation more." Law turned and took towards a tombstone to lean against, hands falling down upon his thighs. "He told me such situations can be very complicated and not just black and white." Frowning slightly, he looked to her for a moment and nodded. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

Luffy took a step towards him, nodding firmly—happy that he was willing to discuss the situation. Before, she feared she had seen the last of him. "_Whatever _you need to know."

Law huffed, the corner of his lips twitching as he crossed his arms once more. "Alright, I'll start with the most important question: After the first time we met, did you continue to talk to me because you were working for him?"

Tilting her head, she cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, brows arching. "I know that first day, when Doflamingo took me and the others to visit your mansion…I know that we were meant to spy on each other, to fish for information. But after that day, did you continue to do as such with me? Was everything just a façade?"

She found herself widening her eyes, heart starting to pick up as she finally put together what he was trying to imply. "No," she firmly stated as she shook her head. "No, everything was real—I didn't pretend. Is…is that why you stormed off before?"

Law nodded once, eyes glued on her face. "When you said you were intimate with him, I assumed the worst and figured you were using me to help _him _take down Doflamingo." His tongue clicked after that, body shifting upon the tombstone. "If it weren't for Corazon, I would probably still think that right at this moment."

Luffy shook her head again, balling up her fists at her side as she stood firmly in place. "You're my friend, Law," she began, making sure to keep looking straight into his eyes, "I would never betray you—not for Crocodile, not for anybody!"

Law smirked then, amusement forming upon his face. Exhaling softly, he shrugged and said, "I believe you, and I know that if you were working for him in that manner, you wouldn't have told me everything you did last time." He stood up from the tombstone, brushing his pants off. "Sometimes it takes me a few days to realize the truth…"

Her lips formed a smile, heartbeat returning to a normal pace. "So you're not upset that I, uh…"

"That you slept with Crocodile?" Law finished for her, his tone slightly strained. He frowned for a moment and shook his head. "While I don't particularly enjoy the idea of you together like that, I also won't dismiss you because of such." He glanced away as he shifted his weight to his right leg. "Whoever we've been with in our _past_ shouldn't matter anymore for the future…" His gaze found hers. "And you said before that you were finished with him in that way, correct?"

Luffy blinked as she began to hold her breath. _Finished…?_ At the moment of their previous conversation, yes, she fully believed that Crocodile and she were finished, yet, things were different now. The maid had returned back to her employer, figuring he was the best she'd get in terms of comfort.

But Law didn't know that.

Did she have it in her to tell him the truth? _The last time I did, he became angry at me…_ She felt fearful of how he would react, remembering what happened the last time. Luffy didn't want to go through that again, yet, could she bring herself to lie to him?

"Yes," she softly answered, tightening her arms across her chest. "That's right."

Law smiled briefly at her answer. "Then he doesn't matter anymore." He took a step towards her and placed his hand over her shoulder, touch gentle. "I'm not going to let what you two did in that past spook me off from what could be in the future."

Sniffing a little, Luffy whispered out, "_Traffy…_" She was touched and almost ecstatic over his words.

Law's expression dulled. "What did you say?" he questioned, hand falling from her shoulder.

"I'm happy that you feel this way," she started, oblivious to the blank look on his face. "I was worried that you hated me…"

"No," Law cut her off. "Don't call me that."

She tilted her head. "You mean _Traffy_?"

He nodded.

A small smile formed upon her face. "But I like it—it's my nickname for you. Don't you like it?"

His lower eyelid twitched as he remained mute to her question.

Reaching out for his forearm, Luffy stood up on her tip-toes to meet his eye level. "Look, I have to go back and help with the wedding. But Crocodile is going to be gone for a week—why don't you visit the mansion and we can talk more about this then, alright, _Traffy_?"

He frowned but sighed and nodded. "Alright, but don't call me that anymore."

Moving past him, she shook her head and wagged a finger. "We can discuss that as well later, _**Traffy**_." She continued forward, not allowing him a chance to object. While she would have loved to stay there and continue their conversation, she didn't want to risk Crocodile snooping around for her. She knew that the old man needed her to help him out that day, and if he confronted her before Law, then that would only lead to trouble.

_Law thinks Crocodile and I are over…And I lied to him…_

Luffy found herself conflicted. It would have been a lie if she said she didn't enjoy Crocodile's company, but at the same time, she felt the same way towards Law. They were both completely different men, yet they still have alluring qualities to them…or at least, she thought they did.

Crocodile gave her a sense of protection, the feeling of being wanted, and sexual satisfaction. Law fed her emotional state, offering her many humorous moments, kind gestures, and soft smiles. Crocodile took while Law gave, and that only left her in the middle, confused as to what _she_ wanted.

In truth, she enjoyed and longed for both, but even she knew that, in the end, she would have to choose between the two.

And Luffy wasn't sure if she could make such a decision.

* * *

Almost an hour passed after speaking with Law.

Half of the guests had made their way into the church, the official ceremony beginning within the hour. Luffy sat by herself as she watched those who decided to linger outside, observing the new and old faces. Many of Crocodile's men were scattered about, walking about with alerted expressions, as if looking out for danger. A few of Doflamingo's men were sprinkled about as well, with the mass of pink feathers already inside the church.

If she listened hard enough, she could hear his loud laugh from within the building. Strangely, he seemed to be enjoying himself the most out of all everybody there. It was as if he knew how miserable Crocodile and Robin were over the arrangement and was taking a personal joy out of the situation.

But Doflamingo seemed to take a sick pleasure in whatever misfortune he could stumble upon.

Something brushed against her shoulder and when she went to turn to investigate, a stern voice ordered her not to.

"Don't look," Crocodile stated quietly as he stood beside her. "I want you to enter the church and go down the right hallway. After, you will continue to the end and enter the room to your left. Wait a few minutes before going, though." When he finished giving his instructions, he left her and headed for the church entrance.

Luffy held her breath as she watched his back, hands folding together over her lap as a frown took to her. While she didn't like his habit of trying to sneak around, she understood why he did so, what with all the guests buzzing about. _What does he want to tell me?_

When she deemed enough time had passed by, she gently got up and headed for the entrance, making sure to go around the many groups of people. The air inside the building was warmer than outside and she figured that perhaps a fireplace was around somewhere. Inside, half of the guests were standing up while the other half was seated upon brown benches.

Doflamingo stood out the most, sitting right up in front with his pink coat. He had his legs stretched out before him, arms hanging on the back of the bench. She could easily hear him going on and on about how he was going to be Crocodile's best man, but it seemed nobody was paying him any particular attention, no matter how loud he got about the matter.

Shrugging, she turned down the vacant right hallway. She became hesitant for a moment before shaking her head and continuing onwards until she reached the end. There were two doors to both sides of her and she took the one on the left, gently opening it and closing it once inside.

She found Crocodile inside, sitting on the edge of a desk—not much else was in the small room, a bookcase and two chairs. It was an office, basically. When Luffy met his stare, he gestured to the door.

"Lock it," he ordered her calmly.

Cocking a brow, she did as he commanded, confused as to why he wanted it locked. "What is it?" she questioned as she turned back around, watching as he stood up and approached the bookshelf.

"I don't think I can do it," he started as his hand reached out to pull out a book—a bible. He opened it and glanced inside quickly before tossing it aside. "I can't stand those people out there," he continued, tone growing hard. "_Especially_ that mother."

Luffy went for one of the chairs, sitting down on the edge while resting her arms over the armrests.

"She demands too much of me," he added then, turning around to face Luffy. "She thinks I benefit from marrying her daughter, as if it is an honor to be a part of her family." His brows lowered, lips forming a firm line. "Can you guess how many times I fantasized about ending her miserable little life today?"

She silently shook her head.

"Too many to count," he answered for her, hand shooting up to squeeze the bridge of his nose. He stayed mute for a minute before sighing and sitting back down on the desk. "But I need Olvia and her alliances in order to get what I want…"

Cocking a brow, Luffy curiously asked, "And what is that?"

His gaze landed on her quickly, hard and probing. "You don't need to concern yourself with that," he answered.

Her lips fell ajar when she went to spoke, but she decided against doing so, remaining mute.

After a moment, his expression softened, lips returning into a neutral line and eyes falling down upon her hands on her lap. "I also thought about you today," he added then before lifting his gaze to meet hers.

Luffy found a smile forming on her face, surprised at his words. "You did?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat.

Crocodile nodded once. "Ever since we were interrupted in the car, I haven't been able to take you off my mind." He got up and took two steps towards her before leaning forward to take ahold of one of her wrists, tugging her up with ease. "I think finishing what we started will help make this day much easier for me."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

She couldn't help but pout at that, annoyed when he started to draw her towards the desk. "Is that all?" she asked then, pressing her free hand against his arm when she felt her lower back touch the edge of the desk. At first, she thought he was going to admit his affection for her or reveal how he missed her, but finding out he just missed her for sex left her feeling odd.

His hand left hers to pinch her chin, forcing her to look up into his eyes. "What else is there?" He asked, amused. "Is my little thief not satisfied?"

Luffy was pressed down upon the desk as he worked her legs apart to dip his hips in-between. He drew his hand across the side of her face, cupping her cheek and running his thumb across her small frown.

Exhaling softly, she figured there was no point in starting an argument over it at that moment. Instead, she shook her head and simply said, "We shouldn't do this here, not in a church."

His fingers brushed her bangs back, mouth leaning down to press against her ear. "I think this is the perfect spot," he objected as he took to grabbing her hair and forcing her crown back so he could have more access to her jaw. "I want whatever gods this church worships to know that you're mine."

"_Wait_," she objected, fighting back the urge to whine while pressing her hands to his chest and grabbing onto the collar of his shirt. "You're about to get married—this…this isn't right."

Crocodile's brows lowered before he pressed his mouth to hers. His teeth found her lower lip and once he was finished silencing her, he pulled away and ordered, "Stop talking. I've had enough of people arguing with me today."

"But…"

"_No_," he said, cutting her off as he took her wrist and pulled them both away from the desk. In a moment, he had her flipped over, stomach flat on the desk. "I won't force you," he told her after wrapping his hand around the front of her neck. She felt his chest press against her back as he leaned towards her ear, hot breath trickling down her neck. In a gentler tone, he said, "I don't want to go more than a week without touching you again, but if you tell me to stop, I will." After that, he removed his hand from her neck and pushed her back down on the desk.

Luffy, fluttering her eyes shut, brought her hands up to the opposite edge of the desk to grab onto. With her mouth closed tightly, she relaxed her body and submitted to him.

The sound of his zipper coming undone filled the room and soon her skirts were pushed upwards over her back. He was quick to pull down her undergarments and stockings, pressing his member to her entrance soon after. Luffy allowed a hot exhale of breath to escape her lips when he entered her, his fingers digging into her hip.

It may have been the fear of the other guests hearing her or the thought of them being in a holy building, but Luffy remained silent to the best of her ability, with the occasional soft grunt or moan to escape her. While she enjoyed doing such things with the man, it felt wrong to her to do it mere moments before he walked down the aisle.

But she never asked him to stop.

Towards his end, with his face buried against the side of her face and breathing hard, he slipped his hand in front of her and between her legs to help stimulate her orgasm. She finished soon after him, whimpering softly as he pressed her tightly against him during his release.

It took him only a few moments to clean up, with his hair being the most difficult task. He offered her a soft stare as she pulled her stockings up, face still red. "Behave while I'm gone," he ordered her, cupping her cheek and drawing her in for one final kiss. Pulling away, he sent her one last look before turning around and leaving.

* * *

Luffy sat in the very back with the other servants, Usopp to one side of her, Nami to the other. Crocodile took Robin as his wife before them all, with Luffy blank of expression and emotion, his seed running down her thigh.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Crocodile is gone for the week with most of the household for his honeymoon, leaving Luffy practically alone. Law visits and keeps her company. They discuss certain things about their employers and certain heated emotions/needs arise. Smut train is coming back, but with a different destination in mind~

* * *

**A/N:** errr, I know, kind of a gross sentence to end on but I felt it would really illustrate Luffy's position in the arrangement as she transitions into the "other woman," I suppose.

I'm also going to have to speed things up, so certain things (ahem, relationships/drama) will happen sooner. I recently just finished outlining the rest of ***part 1*** of this story, and it's just under 5o chapters. I need to wrap this trainwreck up, so I apologize if things start to go by really fast. D:

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**Milkachocolate:** First, ohmygosh, you're making me blush. Originally, yes, I had plans for them to visit Doflamingo's place in the main story line, but after going over the outline and shortening it, I'm not so sure anymore. I have some ideas on how I can work in a visit, but it could go either way at this point. Lol, yes, nobody can avoid Doflamingo—he's the gift that keeps on giving~ Thank you so much for the kind words and for reading and enjoying this story! : )

**Cereza101:** Aw, I'm glad you think that. I felt a little bad after posting it because I felt it was super rushed/not that well written, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Honestly, I think Doffy would bang a trashcan if he wanted to (&amp; perhaps if he were drunk enough…he is trash after all haha) Crocodile is just the unlucky fellow to catch the flamingo's eye. Thanks for reading!

**CosmosAngel:** Crocodile is my favorite, but I get where you're coming from with Doffy's voice actor. It's very, hmmmmmmmm_** alluring**_, ahem ahem *cough cough* it's getting hot in here. Thanks for reading! :D

**Starlight555:** Aw, thank you! Luffy, as I have it planned right now, *will* interact with Corazon. He's a huge impact on Law's life and decision making, and (without giving away too much plot) Luffy and Law are going to mix their lives together in a big way soon enough, and because of such, it's only natural Luffy meet/interact with Corazon. Law may be a bit more hesitant in his advances at first, but he's not going to just drop Luffy—he likes her at this point &amp; won't let some silly old fart like Crocodile stand in his way. Thanks for reading!

**LittleChomper:** Ahaha, I suppose dying with happiness is the best way to die, yes? xD *If* Crocodile ever finds out, he will be more than just heartbroken. Aw, no, thank you for reading! You guys reading and reviewing this story motivate me to write, and you all are so kind to me. So thank you for all the support! : )

**AnnaAshiqa:** Haha, I'm so happy you found this chapter funny! You're awesome! Thank you for reading!


	27. Doctor, Doctor

**Warning: Smut Train is in the station; you know the drill: oOoOo means M-rated territory.**

**A/N: **Chapter is going to go over the course of eight days, from the night of the wedding to the night before Crocodile and his group returns back from the honey moon. In that sense, it's going to be long, but it might also feel a bit sped through, and I apologize for that. Eight days of events is hard to make work in one go and I honestly just tried to stick to main events that happened. But to fill in the blanks, just assume they (Law and Luffy) went out into town and did fun stuff together. I hope you enjoy reading.

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Doctor Doctor

**Night Zero**

Luffy sat crossed-legged before the fire place in the social room, expression grim as she shoved another bite of sandwich into her mouth, chewing slowly as she went over the day's events.

_He got married._

She had known for over a month that it was _going_ to happen and while both parties claimed no love was going to go into the arrangement, Luffy couldn't help but feel bitter about it all. Watching him that afternoon before all those people as he swore his vows to Robin left the maid with a deep pit of a feeling in her stomach, as if she had fallen into a ditch and couldn't get up.

But Crocodile made it out as if Luffy shouldn't worry about the situation, that none of it should matter to her.

_He married Robin._

But they didn't love each other—it was all a lie, to look good for the others and form an alliance for whatever common goal they had in mind.

_He's a married man now._

And what did that make Luffy?

She pondered that as the two walked down the aisle, arms linked together and guests clapping. She asked herself the same question during the ride back to the mansion, and she thought it over once more when she dug through the cabinets of food. There was no positive answer she could come up with, and the only comfort she seemed to have had been from the food.

Food made everything better.

Luffy wondered, as she sat there on the floor, what he was doing at that moment. It was late into the night—he was either at the island already or sleeping in his room on the boat. And was he with Robin?

_Aren't newlyweds supposed to spend their nights together? Are they…?_

She shook her head at the thought before pushing another mouthful of sandwich in. Crocodile had told her that Robin and he made arrangements, where they were alright with each other looking to another. _I shouldn't worry about any of that then._

Even if that were the case, Luffy still couldn't help but feel saddened by his approach to her earlier in the day, back in that small church office. Yes, she did enjoy what they did—she enjoyed the fact that they did such things; however, nothing but lust seemed to go into it, as most times.

And after _really_ thinking about it for the first time, she found that it bothered her. Crocodile was by no means romantic, that much she could piece together—and she had grown to accept that. Yet, at the same time, it wouldn't hurt for him to open up more to her instead of just take.

Whenever they conversed, it was more of him talking _at_ her—dominating the conversation and manipulating it to his favor. And when _he_ deemed it time to become intimate, his kisses were brief and touch demanding. Besides that, what else did their relationship consist of?

Luffy wished she could consider Crocodile a friend, but there wasn't a time outside of his bedroom that she could recall where she felt truly close to him. It was a miracle if he ever flashed her a friendly smile and there was hardly a time where he just had an easy-going conversation with her.

If anything, when he wasn't engaging her in sex, their interactions were rather dull and belittling.

_And now he's married, and Robin isn't supposed to know about us._

That bothered her as well. Of course, she didn't want to hurt Robin, and if Crocodile thought revealing as such would do that to the woman, then she could understand. But _why_ would it hurt Robin? She showed no interest in him and if they had prior arrangements to see other people, _why_ continue living a lie?

Before Luffy learnt of the arrangement, she lived in utter fear of Robin finding out, and had made it her mission to stop any intimate interactions between herself and Crocodile. Who was she to come in between them and Robin's only chance at making it work? Yet, as she learned days prior, that _wasn't _exactly the case anymore: Robin _did_ have a chance at happiness, just with another person of _her_ choosing.

_**How**__ bad will it be if she did learn of us?_

All these questions and no real answers to come up with.

There was a creak behind her, snapping her attention back to reality as she glanced around, smiling thinly when she caught Usopp peeping in through the door frame. He and Coby were her only companions for the week—unless if Law came like she told him to, but that was still up in the air.

Where could she even begin with Law? Things between them were obviously strained, that much was obvious for her to tell, but back at the church, he appeared to be still interested in her, or at least, willing to talk. And of course, they cleared most things up regarding the situation…

_Except for the part where I completely __**lied **__to him…_

And what was she to do now in regards to _that_? Before, when she first stated that she and Crocodile had stopped such things, it _was_ true: Luffy had no desires to continue doing that, to add onto the heavy burden of guilt she already was facing; however, Law stormed off when she told him, leaving her to believe he had enough of her.

Luffy did the only thing she knew how to do: go back to Crocodile. He easily swooped her back in, convincing her that there was nothing to worry about, and she gobbled it all up. But now Law is back in the picture and—

"Luffy?" Usopp's soft voice filled the room, returning her back from her thoughts once again. When she met his curious stare, he smiled and entered the room. "Are you alright? You…" Glancing around, he frowned slightly at the food scattered about. "You, uh, seem a bit…depressed?"

When he sat beside her, shoving over a pile of food with his shoe first, she offered him a tilt of the head and another thin smile. "I'm alright," she told him, even if it was a lie. "I'm just tired, that's all."

Usopp nodded once, bending in his knees and crossing his arms over them. "Well, today was a long day," he agreed, yawning afterwards. "I still can't believe the master left you in charge…I've been here far longer than you have."

A quiet laugh escaped her. "Are you jealous?"

His brows arched and he shrugged. "Sort of," he admitted before quickly sitting up straight. "But it's not like I haven't been in charge in the past—I'm the great Captain Usopp! I've commanded fleets of armies with my right hand and rule vast empires with my left!"

Luffy widened her stare. She always found herself in awe after learning such facts about her friend. "You've lived such an amazing life so far, Usopp," she commented before eating the rest of her sandwich. "I can't believe I know somebody as adventurous as you!"

Slinging his arm over her shoulders, he nodded proudly before saying, "You are but one of the lucky ones." After a moment, he exhaled softly and added, "And you really are lucky, Luffy; you seem to have it easy here. You have to tell me your secrets on getting on Crocodile's good side!"

Tensing up, Luffy casted her gaze into the fire. "Uh, well," she began, fumbling for the words, "just do your job correctly…I suppose…"

Pulling his arm away from her, Usopp reached out for one of the pastries she snuck out of the kitchen. Taking a bite, he said with a full mouth, "I've been doing that for years. There isn't a soul around that knows gardening better than me."

* * *

Two hours later and there was a soft banging echoing throughout the mansion. She had awoken on a couch, still in the social room but alone with her pile of food. Another bang and she sat up, rubbing the side of her face as she glanced about.

The fire had died out, the room pitch black.

Her feet touched the floor and as she stretched her arms out, she heard another bang. Casting her gaze towards the direction of the doorframe—barely visible in the darkness—she frowned slightly, confused as to what that noise was.

Getting up, she wiped her eyes and headed down the hallway, stopping when the bang slowly morphed into a knock.

_Somebody is knocking on the door?_

Sniffing a little, she went down the hallway towards the entrance, stopping before the window to peer outside. While as dark as it was inside, she caught a familiar slender figure standing before the door, eyes meeting hers through the window.

Law motioned for her to open up.

Pulling away from the window, she creaked the door open and stood aside for him to enter, watching curiously as he glanced about quickly. "I've been out there for almost ten minutes now," he stated as he turned around to meet her gaze. "Didn't you hear me knocking?"

Closing the door, Luffy shook her head. "I was asleep—I didn't think you'd come so late."

"I had trouble slipping away," Law admitted. "After the wedding, Doflamingo had me help him pack for his vacation."

"Vacation?" Luffy questioned, watching as he took a few more steps down the hallway, eyeing a painting on the wall.

He nodded once. "He thought it would be entertaining to crash Crocodile's honeymoon, surprise him on the island and all. I personally don't mind him doing this, though—it gives me a whole week free from him." He offered her a smirk after that.

Yawning, Luffy sheepishly glanced down at the bag in his hand, cocking a brow afterwards. "What's that?"

Following her gaze, Law titled his head and simply answered, "Just some stuff, for my stay."

Blinking, she met his stare. "You're staying?"

"You invited me didn't you?" he questioned. "And besides, you mentioned you'd have the mansion to yourself for a week, right? Why wouldn't I take this opportunity?"

Luffy exhaled deeply, glancing down the hallway before crossing her arms. "Well, there are two others here…but I don't think they'll say anything." After a moment, she smiled and took his arm, leading him down the hallway. "You can stay in one of the spare rooms then," she suggested.

In silence she led him up to the second floor, down the opposite direction of Crocodile's bedroom. Upon entering, she did a quick once over to make sure it was in decent enough shape. "Is this alright?" she asked softly, turning around to watch him enter the room.

Tossing his bag aside, Law closed the door and nodded. "It is fine," he said as he stretched his arms up high, heading for the bed. Flopping over on his back, he kicked his shoes off and exhaled. "Your boss seems the type to invest in lavish things," he observed, tilting his head her way.

Taking to the edge of the bed, she folded her hands upon her lap and agreed. "He seems to have the money to do so, though."

Law huffed at that, expression hardening. "I wonder what _exactly_ he had to do in order to make such money."

She met his stare at that moment, searching his annoyed look. Falling over to her side and propping her head up by her hand, she retorted, "Probably nothing different from what Doflamingo does."

He smirked at that, eyes falling shut. "Doflamingo isn't exactly a saint, so I don't know what point you're trying to make."

"I'm not trying to make any point," she objected, resting the side of her face on the bed now, growing more tired and extremely comfortable in the bed. Those beds were superior to the cots in the servants' quarters and it seemed like they had a talent for sucking all of the energy out of a person. Sheepishly, she muttered, "Traffy…"

"I told you not to call me that," Law objected, but it was no use—she had already fallen into the embrace of sleep.

* * *

**Day One**

Luffy awoke late in the morning, covers wrapped up around her body as if she were in a cocoon. Cracking one eye open, she winced at the sunlight, quickly realizing that she had slept in. Sitting up quickly, she widened both eyes—blinking only a handful of times.

Running her hands up across her face, she yawned and took a moment to observe her surroundings. _Where am I…?_ It dawned on her a moment later that she was in the guest room she had shown Law to, yet, where was he?

Something stirred across the room, upon the sofa. Cocking a brow, she glanced over the bundle of blankets, realizing soon enough that she had found her doctor in training, still asleep. _There he is…on the couch…_Luffy's gaze fell to the covers on her lap, the bed beneath her. Her lips trembled into a pout, fingers digging into a blanket.

_No! I accidently fell asleep here!_

Frowning, she quickly got out of the bed, and looked back over to Law, upset to see that he was forced upon the couch because she took what was supposed to be his bed. _He should have just slept beside me or something_, she thought then, becoming more annoyed at him than angry at herself. _I bet the couch isn't that comfortable…_

Approaching him, she crossed her arms and directed her gaze to his chest, watching as it slowly rose and fell. Glancing to his face, she found a small smile form, happy to see him so relaxed and peaceful and…

_And cute~_

Cupping her cheeks, she could feel her skin warm up. _He's so defenseless like this, _she figured then, happily staring down at him.

His eyes fluttered open, dazed at first but then quickly alerted at the person hovering over him. Shaking his head, he shifted on the couch a little, blinking the sleep away as he stared up at Luffy. After a second, he sat up and cocked a brow before glancing around. "Why are you standing there like that?" he finally questioned, tone soft, as he met her stare.

Tilting her head slightly, Luffy's eyes widened when she realized how creepy she must have appeared then, but made no attempts to answer his question. "Why did you sleep on the couch?" she asked instead, placing her hands to her hips as she glared down at him.

He quickly glanced over to the bed, blinked once more, and returned his stare back to hers. "You were occupying it," he answered slowly, as if the answer were obvious.

Huffing, she shook her head slowly. "You should have kicked me out then if you were uncomfortable with me being there, Traffy," she sternly said as she turned around to approach the bed. "You're too much a softie, I suppose…" Quickly, she began to make the bed—a habit she had developed since moving into the mansion.

"I wouldn't be able to do that," he objected as he got up from the couch, tripping over a blanket all the while. Luffy turned her attention back at him, watching as he steadied himself up, face growing red. He only sported an undershirt and boxers and as they locked eyes, she saw a look of embarrassment cross them. Quickly grabbing his pants from the floor, he went to pull them on, all the while trying to explain himself. "I had planned to, uh, wake up before you did." His words were a mumbled mess, expression growing blank as he zipped up his pants. His stare met hers once more, and it appeared as if he wanted to say something else, but couldn't spit the words up.

Titling her head, she pulled away from the bed and curiously asked, "Do you need help getting dressed?"

Shaking his head, he said, "No, I can handle it on my own." As Luffy took another step towards him, he quickly took to moving over to the end of the couch, picking up his dress shirt. "You don't need to act like a maid around me," he informed her, slipping the shirt on before buttoning it up. "This week should be just as much as a vacation for you as it is for everyone else."

Halting her movements, Luffy brought her hands up together over her chest, casting her gaze aside as she smiled at his words. "If you insist…" she responded softly.

* * *

Both Usopp and Coby easily took to Law's presence. Of course, they were hesitant in the matter of one of Doflamingo's men being there while Crocodile was not, but after a quick stretching of the truth on Luffy's part, going on about how Law was a good friend who was only visiting for innocent reasons, they bought into the idea and swore not to say a word to anybody.

They spent their first day out in the city, wondering around and engaging in random side-street shows. Law escorted her about with their arms links, offering her soft smirks and welcoming stares. To put it simply, Luffy found herself happy—more so than she did in weeks.

And all because Law seemed happy _himself_.

By nightfall, she had shown him about the edges of the hunting grounds, explaining to him the infestation of flamingos. Law, all in all, found the story humorous, going on to comment that, _"Nobody seems to be safe from those horrible pink birds._"

They sat under a tree, gazing up at the stars side by side. At that moment, tired from the day's outings, Luffy found herself cherishing Law's visit. He was a friend, a good one, and she enjoyed the fact that she could have such a relationship with him.

_Even if nothing ever happens between us, I'm sure I'll always have his friendship…_

"Are we going to continue our talk from yesterday?" Law finally questioned, snapping her attention back to him and away from the stars. She met his gaze, searching his softened expression.

Nodding, she brought her hands together over her lap. "Where did you want to start?"

Exhaling heavily, Law glanced away and down a nearby stream. "I think it is only fair that I tell you my side," he began slowly, prompting her to look to him with confusion. "Before everything blew up, I promised you that if you shared you secrets, I would do the same with you." His gaze found hers. "I have yet to do that…"

"Traffy…"

His expression hardened, but it quickly died as it came, as if he were giving in to the nickname. "I, uh…" Licking his lower lip, he took a brief moment to pause and think. "Corazon, you know of him, correct?"

Luffy nodded, offering him a small smile. "The man who raised you, correct?"

"Yes," Law answered, hands falling to his knees and stare glancing away. "My parents…my sister…" he explained slowly, "they died from an illness when I was very young. It…it was a difficult sickness to cure, and my family was poor and had no means to afford medicine…"

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Law's fingers digging into his knees, jaw clenching.

"I had it as well, but since I caught it later on, I didn't die when they did. When it was just me…I…" Shaking his head, he smirked. "I had no hope and I'm sure that if I didn't find Corazon, I wouldn't be here to tell you this story."

"He saved you?" Luffy questioned, earning his attention.

"In a way, yes," Law answered. "Because of him, I was able to receive the treatment for my condition and survive to tell the tale. He took me in as his son, Luffy, and because of him, I desire to become a doctor, or perhaps a surgeon…I want to cure the world's diseases, to…to save families the burden of loved ones dying."

She found herself smiling. _I'm glad Law has somebody like that in his life…_ "He sounds like an amazing man, Traffy," she commented, earning a smile from Law.

"Yes," he agreed, proudly so. "More so than any other person I've ever met, and…" He paused then, mouth slightly ajar as he glanced away. "There is more to him, but…"

"_But?_"

Law's hand was on top of hers, squeezing it gently. "Can we finish this another day, if you don't mind? I…it's getting late, and I don't want you catching a cold by sitting out here all night."

Luffy went to object, but caught herself, falling silent before nodding. "You can tell me whatever you need to tell me when you're ready," she simply said before placing her other hand on his.

He offered her an appreciative smile before arising and helping her up. "I want to tell you," he explained, "I just need to think about it some more."

* * *

**Day Three**

Luffy made a mistake by mentioning Crocodile.

That name alone seemed to have triggered something within Law, leaving him in a sour mood as he entered the guest room, her tailing behind him quickly. "You shouldn't speak so fondly of him," Law sternly stated as he approached a window, hand reaching out to press against the framing. "You're naïve to think you're safe here."

Frowning slightly, Luffy stayed in the middle of the room. She hadn't intended to speak fondly of Crocodile, and she still failed to see how she did so in the first place. "I am safe here, though," she objected, earning a hard stare from Law.

"He's dangerous and a manipulator, Luffy," Law informed her, pulling away from the window to approach her. His hands were on her shoulders, fingers digging into her. "I know what it's like to live with a manipulator—they control the entire situation…make you think your best route is with them…" He shook his head, a frown forming. "He's going to end up hurting you if you continue down this road."

Exhaling softly, Luffy casted her gaze aside and out through the window. While she appreciated Law's concern, she doubted Crocodile would ever actually hurt her. Yes, he could get rough, and of course, he was demanding of her, but she failed to see Law's point. "I've handled myself so far," she finally said as she returned her stare back to the man holding her by the shoulders.

Rolling his eyes, he shook her once, earning her full attention. "He's a mob lord, don't you understand? People like him know how to do one thing, and that's _destroying_ everything they touch. Get out while you can."

Tilting her head, Luffy searched his concerned expression. "Why are you so worked up all of a sudden? You've haven't acted this way before, yet you've known all along that I was his maid…"

Pulling his hands away, Law's shoulders rose as he crossed his arms. "You don't understand," he started, the words falling short. "I…_you_ need to know things are worse than you're led to believe—a storm is coming, Luffy, and if you don't wise up to his crap, you'll end up in trouble."

"What do you mean?" she questioned as he pushed past her, towards the door. "Law…I don't understand!"

He stopped at the door, closing it before turning around and leaning back. "Come with me," he said then, hand reaching out to touch hers. "Come with me and you'll be safe, I can promise you that."

"Where would we go, though?" she asked, confused by the sudden change in attitude. "Besides, I need to stay here, for Ace."

Law pulled his hand away, expression hardening. "Is it just for Ace?" he questioned, tone cold and body tense.

She felt her stomach drop. "Yes," she whispered, taking a step back. "You…I told you that already." And while she knew it wasn't entirely true, she was a little hurt he didn't believe her. _Why should he trust me? I've lied to him…_ "You know how important Ace is to me, as Corazon is important to you…"

He searched her face for a moment, expression returning back to his natural calm and observing state. "I'm sorry," he stated. "I just don't want you around when things get heated."

"You mean with Teach and Whitebeard?" Shaking her head, she offered him a soft smile. "You don't need to worry about me in that regard—I'll be safe and sound here in the mansion whenever our bosses go out and take care of them, alright?"

"Luffy…" Law muttered, clearly not convinced. "Why are you so stubborn?"

The maid crossed her arms, throwing him a fat pout. "I'm not stubborn," she objected strongly.

His brows arched as he pushed away from the door. "You're the most stubborn person I've ever met," he retorted as he went past her towards the sofa. "And you're too damn naïve to realize the danger you're in."

* * *

**Night Four**

"_Is everything in the mansion still intact?"_

Clutching the receiver closer to her ear, Luffy gave a weak _yes_ in return, mind jumping back and forth between all the food eaten and her special guest. "You don't need to worry about anything here," she added softly, leaning back to sit on the edge of his desk.

"_Good._" The word was drawn out, as if he were thinking of his next sentence. "_And have there been any calls for me?_"

"The second day of this week, the mayor called," she answered, glancing down at the paper on his desk to which she wrote Iceberg's message. "He wanted to know when you were getting back, and when I told him, he said he'd call you the day after. That was the only person, though…"

There was a heavy exhale from his end. _"At least he knows how to keep his distance,"_ Crocodile began, tone dry with a hint of annoyance. "_Doflamingo showed up on the island—I don't know __**how**__ he figured out which one I'd visit, but he did, and it's been complete and utter hell here."_

Luffy fought back a laugh, but couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry to hear that," she offered, amused at the thought of Doflamingo chasing Crocodile about the island. "I'm sure he's just very fond of you, sir."

A half-laugh of disbelief came to life from the receiver. "_I wouldn't call__** that**__ fond_," he objected, clearly not impressed with her choice of words. "_More like obsessed and living garbage who can't take a hint._ _I have half a mind to cut this vacation short and return back to the mansion soon."_

Luffy found herself frowning at that, the thought of Crocodile returning to find Law there sending a fear down her spine. _He would most likely not take kindly to Law's presence…_ "You shouldn't have to ruin your fun because of him," she informed him firmly.

"_Fun?_" He sounded almost amused by the term. _"There is nothing __**fun**__ about this situation—the only good thing about going on this vacation is the naps on the beach, nothing else."_

Huffing quietly, she glanced back at his office door, wondering what Law was doing at that moment. "Yes," she slowly responded, "but returning back to the mansion early will only cause Doflamingo to think he won…You…you wouldn't want him to think that, right?"

Crocodile gave out a low hum, the sound of his chair squeaking from him most likely shifting in his seat. "_That it true,_" he agreed, tone slightly curious. "_I suppose you're correct in that sense, but it sounds to me as if you don't want me to return?_"

Swallowing, Luffy quickly shook her head _no_, soon realizing there was no point in doing so since he wasn't able to see her. "I just think it wouldn't be fair to you to cut your vacation short, that's all. You work so hard and…and I think you deserve a moment like this…"

There was a long pause of silence before he finally said, "_I'm glad that you understand how much effort I put in. It feels as if everybody thinks they can walk all over me, but not you…_"

Luffy remained mute.

"_There is a shop down here that specializes in carving little wooden animals._" He paused for a second. "_I'll pick you up one—what is your favorite animal?_"

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Monkeys," she answered softly, surprised that he had offered to get her something. "Or…or crocodiles."

"_Both_," he determined then. "_I'll get you both._"

The call ended soon after, with him complaining about how he needed to go meet the others for supper; however, at the very end of the call, he wished her a good night. And as she placed the receiver back in its holder, Luffy found herself smiling, pleased with their conversation.

It wasn't much of one, but it was one of the better ones they shared.

* * *

**Day Five**

"I'm ready to tell you."

Luffy twirled around, away from the counter to which she was putting together some food. She was by no means as talented a chef as Sanji, but she _could_ throw together a simple but acceptable meal. "Hmm?" she questioned, unsure if she heard him correctly.

Sitting at the center island, Law gave a stiff nod before repeating himself. "Before, when we were discussing Corazon…I'm ready to finish telling you about him."

She took to the opposite side of the counter, attention completely devoted to him. "Alright," she agreed, sitting down and pressing her arms across the surface in front of her.

His eyes fell down to her hands for a second, his lips slightly ajar. "First, I need you to keep an open mind—and don't panic. Just…just listen to all I have to say before making and judgements."

Cocking a brow, she nodded her head when he met her stare again. "Okay…" she said, gesturing for him to continue on. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," he answered, a small smirk forming. "It's just…" Exhaling, he shook his head. "I'll just come right out and say it: Corazon— and I for that matter—aren't who you think we are." When she went to question him, he stopped her by reaching over and pressing his hand on top of hers. "Let me finish," he asked of her, earning a soft frown from her part. "Ever since I can remember, Corazon has been…opposing Doflamingo's rule, in the sense that he's been feeding information back to the government and proper authority."

Luffy's stare widened. "But…but he's Doflamingo's brother?" _And he's reporting back to the police…? Why?_

"I know that," Law started, "but you don't realize how bad it is living with that man…what's he's done in his past, to Corazon…to their own family. Doflamingo needs to be taken down—Corazon understands this, _I_ understand this, and by infiltrating his mob like this, we have a good chance at taking him out."

Nodding, Luffy arched a brow before slowly asking, "Is that it?" Fear began to settle in. "You…you didn't mention anything about Crocodile or Ace to those government people, right?"

Luffy trusted Law, she knew he wouldn't ever betray her like that—but she couldn't help but ask, to get the reassurance from his words.

For a moment he remained silent.

"_Law?_"

Inhaling, he offered her a thin smile before shaking his head _no_. "I haven't mentioned a word to anybody about either of those two."

She smiled then, ecstatic over his response. _I knew I could trust Law…he's different and kind and wouldn't do anything to hurt me or my loved ones…_ "I'm glad to hear that," she responded, hands reaching out for his across the counter. "And if you ever need any help, I can snoop around here to see if there is any information on Doflamingo that you guys can use."

* * *

**Night Six**

Law had approached her with a bottle of wine. "Might as well enjoy ourselves some more," he suggested, popping the cork off and smelling it briefly. "Here."

Luffy took it hesitantly, a giddy smile of her face. "Are you sure?" she questioned, watching as he headed up the staircase to the upper floor.

Mid-way up, he paused and glanced back down at her. "There are hundreds of them down in the cellar—he won't notice one gone." And with that, he continued on, Luffy quickly following after him and making sure not to spill any of the wine.

At the top of the staircase, he took the bottle from her hands before taking a gulp straight from it. Sniffing a little, he smirked and said, "It's good—are you sure you don't want any of it?"

Frowning slightly, she took the bottle back before bringing the rim to her lips. She took a sip first, savoring the taste before swallowing. Law gestured for her to drink some more, so she did, and continued to do so as she followed him down the hall.

"Where are we going?" she asked, licking the corner of her lips.

"I want to check something out," he answered, stopping before Crocodile's room. "You said this was his room, correct?"

Luffy nodded, fighting back a small laugh. "Yes, but why do you want to go in _there_?"

Opening the door, he glanced back at her and simply said, "Just keep drinking, alright?"

The maid took to sitting on the edge of the bed, throwing back another gulp as she watched Law curiously. He wondered about, eyes glancing here and there as he took in the massive room. "Luffy," he finally said a few minutes later, turning around in the middle of the room to face her. "If I were Crocodile, where would I hide my most valuable possessions?"

Cocking a brow, Luffy smiled and asked, "Possessions? You mean like his coats and ties?" Her words came out a bit slower than usual, but she didn't mind—she felt nice then, relaxed, and chalked it all up to being with Law. _He just makes me feel so comfortable,_ she happily thought, taking another sip of the wine.

Approaching her, he knelt down upon his knees to press his forearms across her own knees. "Not exactly," he said quietly, eyes looking up into hers. "I'm thinking more along the lines of…secrets and letters and perhaps things that he would rather not want others to find. Would you happen to have any ideas?"

"_Oh_," she mouthed, blushing from how close he got to her. "Ah." She laughed, glancing towards Crocodile's closet. "Don't tell anyone," she whispered to Law, giggling all the while, "but Crocodile has a secret compartment in his closet, all the way in the back—but you can't tell; Crocodile doesn't know that I know."

Law offered her a smile as he got up, hand reaching out to ruffle up her hair. "Thanks," he said to her, turning around to head for said closet.

"But don't tell," she whined, flopping over on her side and clutching her wine bottle close to her chest, protectively almost. With half-opened eyes she watched as Law disappeared within the closet and it seemed to be almost hours before he reemerged.

He tucked something white into his pocket but Luffy didn't care, she was just happy to see that he returned. "Law," she called out, reaching her hand out for him. When he approached her side of the bed, she giggled before leaning forward and taking a tight grip of his wrist, tugging him down to the best of her ability.

Surprised, Law fell forward, stopping himself from crushing just at the last minute by pressing his hand on top of the bed beside her face. "Luffy, you're drunk," he began, stopping when she wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him towards her face.

She was pretty sure she landed his lips but eventually figured out she had missed by a few inches and was currently kissing his chin. Laying her head back down on the bed, she let out a frustrated huff. "I…your mouth became a chin?"

"You're more than just drunk," Law commented as he pulled the bottle out from between them. As he went to get up, Luffy kept her arms around his shoulders tight. His eyes met hers.

"_Traffy,_" she sang sweetly. "I like you so much—don't leave."

His expression softened a bit, amusement taking over. "I have no idea what you just said, Luffy—your words are slurred." With ease, he finally pulled away from her, wrapping an arm under her back to help her up. "Come on now, we're finished here."

"But _Traffy!_" she whined in response, leaning her face to his as he helped lead her out of the room. She went in for a second attempt to kiss, this time meeting his lips, but only the corner.

"You're much more forward when you're drunk," he observed as he pushed the door close with his shoe. "You need to rest now, and _no_ more wine," he sternly added when she reached out for the bottle.

Her legs gave out from under her and as she went to fall over, Law held her tightly against him. "_Whoops_," she giggled out, hiding her face with her hands. "I fell~"

"You didn't even drink that much," he huffed as he slipped his arm under her legs, hoisting her up with ease. "I suppose you aren't very good at holding your liquor…"

For the third time that night she went for his lips, finally managing to make full contact. With her arms fulling around his neck, she kept the kiss going strong. "Traffy," she whispered as she pulled away from his mouth, "I want to…now, right here."

Law shook his head. "You have no idea what you're saying," he objected as he continued down the hall, body tense from her assault. "And I wouldn't…not while you're drunk."

And with that, he returned her to her room, bidding her a good night before leaving her to sleep off the wine.

* * *

**Night Seven**

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

They took to Crocodile's room, the coolest of all the rooms on that hot summer night.

Luffy sat beside him in the bed, watching as he read through a book—a strange one she thought, with pictures of body parts and long paragraphs with words she never even heard before. Law was studying, something he said he enjoyed doing at least once a week so he could retain the information he learned in the university.

"What's that?" she asked him, pointing to one of the pictures.

Flicking his stare up towards her, he smiled thinly and said, "The spleen."

She cocked a brow, confused as to what _that_ was. "The spleen?"

Placing the book aside, he pressed his hand to the side of her torso. "An organ—everybody has one, or at least they _should._ It's located right about here…" He pressed two fingers inward, earning a soft laugh from Luffy.

"And what else do we all have under our skin?" Luffy questioned then, smiling as she caught the look of excitement in his eyes. _He really enjoys this subject…_

"For starters," he began, lifting his hand up to touch the side of her skull, "we have the brain—or, well, I'm going to _assume_ you have one, but I'm not so sure."

Luffy gently punched the side of his arm, sending him an unamused frown.

"I'm joking," he offered with a smile, happy with his comment. "You have a brain—we all do." His hand slid behind her crown and down her back, their bodies closer together in that position. "And along with the spinal cord, it controls the rest of the body."

"What else?" she whispered, eyes never leaving his.

His other hand took hers, lifting it up so he could trace his fingers along her palm. "You would be amaze at everything happening just in your hand alone, how many different tissues and organs come together to move just your pinky." His fingers began to trace up her wrist and arm, slowly. "Dense bones and tiny blood vessels," he murmured, growing lost in his lesson. "The human body is perfect—just utterly perfect, and everything connects in one way or another."

His hand continued to her shoulder and began to dip down and follow her clavicle, prompting her to tense up and bite her lower lip.

"But the real fun stuff is towards the middle," he added softly, hand stopping just at the center of her neck. He seemed as if he wanted to add something, to continue on, but his eyes snapped up from her chest and his hand began to pull away.

Luffy took his hand and lead it back to her lower neck. "Don't stop," she softly ordered, breathing a bit pitched and cheeks warm. "I…want to know more."

Law met her wide-eyed stare, fingers curling inward to form a fist upon her. "Luffy," he started, "…?"

She nodded, giving him full permission to continue on.

He bought his fingers to her lips, tracing them slowly before leaning inward. "You have the lips," he said before he met them with his own. On instinct, Luffy brought her hands up to cup both sides of his face, pulling him in closer if it were even possible. He was softer and more hesitant than the other man she kissed, almost as if he were nervous.

Law pulled her down on the bed, his body leaning over her side. The kiss broke, his hand trailing down her neck. "You have the heart," he said, breathing slightly faster than before. He undid the top button of her uniform, stopping to look into her eyes once more.

She nodded, giving him permission to continue on.

And as he undid the other buttons, Luffy found herself nervous—just as nervous as she was the first time she laid with Crocodile in such a manner. It was as if she were going through the process all over again.

She inhaled deeply when he pulled the top layer of her uniform open, revealing the thin slip that covered her flesh from his probing stare. Hesitantly, he brought his hand down her clavicle, fingers tracing her revealed skin until her met the slip.

"The heart is just as important as the brain," he softly said as he ran his fingers along the fabric, towards the inner side of her left breast. Falling silent, he cupped it, his body leaning in closer to hers as his other hand steadied himself on the bed. "I can feel yours pounding," he commented then, sliding his hand slowly upwards.

Luffy could feel her body reacting, growing warm in some places while becoming hard in others. The feeling of his hand rubbing the fabric across her stiffening nipple prompted her to bite down on her lower lip, thighs pressing together as she fluttered her eyes shut.

He stopped then, earning her attention once more. "Are…are you sure?" he questioned. "Is this what you want?"

She brought her hand up and touched the side of his face, fingers weaving through the edge of his hair. "Yes," she answered, offering him a smile. "I…I want this."

Law nodded in response, eyes growing determined as he pulled away from her to work on his shirt. Luffy quickly sat up to help him, hands fumbling together as they silently worked out who would undo what. She started from the middle and made her way down, pulling his shirt out from the constraint of his pants once finished.

"You're fast at this," he commented as he finished up his share of the buttons, voice a bit pitchy.

She sent him a weak smirk. "I've learned how to dress and undress people pretty fast around her."

Law sent her a coy stare, as if taken aback by her statement.

"I mean…not like that!" she shot back, huffing afterwards. "I help dress them because I'm a maid around here…"

He shook his head in response, hands shooting out to cup her cheeks. "Just stop talking," he ordered her before pressing his lips to hers once more.

Dipping her fingers into his undershirt, she began to tug it upwards, prompting him to pull away from her mouth to allow her to get it off of him. The first thing she took in was the tattoos, dark ink dancing across dark toned flesh. And she couldn't help but blush, sitting back down to admire him.

He didn't seem to notice, though, as he undid his belt, tossing it aside before working off his pants. While he did that, Luffy began to undo the rest of her uniform, quickly pulling it off afterwards and waiting for Law to finish.

When he looked her way, his eyes widened as they scanned her slip. As he opened his mouth to speak, Luffy pushed him down flat on the bed so she could straddle him, his hands meeting her hips soon enough to hold her in place. She could feel his erection under her, poking against his underwear.

"Traffy," she began, taking his hand and returning it back to her breast. "Continue your lesson…"

Law gave a stiff nod, sitting up to get a better view. She went to slide back down his lap, but stopped when he pulled her in towards him closer, their bodies grazing each other. With one hand on his shoulder and the other to her side, Luffy smiled when he slipped his hand under the slip, fingers finally meeting her flesh in the way she wanted.

"We all have breast tissue," Law started as he cupped her, "but females have a tendency to have more than males…" His thumb ran along her nipple, stopping dead-center on it to press upwards. With his other hand, he pulled the straps of her slip off her shoulders, the garment easily falling down her body and pooling around her waist.

His gaze lifted up from her chest and met her neck. "The necklace…?" he asked.

"A gift," she breathed out, unsure of why it mattered at that moment.

With his free hand, he undid the ribbon and tossed it aside, fingers tracing the new skin now exposed to him.

When he took her nipple in his mouth, Luffy let out a soft cry of approval, arm wrapping around the back of his neck, and the side of her face resting on top of his crown. "Law," she murmured, eyes falling shut as he bit down playfully.

And his hand began to slide up her leg, his lips pulled away from her breast as he moved his head to meet her eyes. "And south to your heart…" His other hand followed suit and began to move under her slip, causing the thin fabric to rise and reveal more of her thighs. "Ah, but these," he added, fingers dipping under the waistband of her bloomers, "…these are _not_ part of the body."

In a mere second he had their positions reversed, with Luffy flat on her back and his body hovering over hers. He worked off her undergarments, tugging her stockings off her legs along the way. His right hand quickly found her center after that, fingers running along the most inner part of her left thigh.

"And this," he spoke softly, mouth leaning in towards her ear. "I've learned that a woman can experience the upmost of pleasure right about…" His thumb found her clitoris, slowly rubbing it. "…_here_."

Luffy could feel a smile form upon the edge of her ear, but she couldn't focus on that, nor his words. All her mind could think of was his hand between her legs and his body against hers. She could feel his erection pressing against her, his hot breath tickling down her neck.

She wanted him more than anything at that moment, to feel him inside of her—for him to _fuck _her but hold her tightly and whisper his loving words into her ear all the while. "Law," she mouthed, thighs pressing together when she felt the good pressure begin to form. "_Law,_" she whined again, face becoming flustered as she searched his eyes.

His hand left her, fingers slick as he went to remove his undergarment. He met her center soon after with his own, gliding his erection towards her entrance. "I didn't bring any protection," he informed her then, his tip meeting her inner lips. Pausing, he let out a huff before pressing his mouth to hers for a brief kiss. "We'll just have to risk it this once," he determined then, pushing forward and entering her.

He filled her almost entirely in the first go, breathing soft as he searched her body with his hands—one on her hip, the other finding its way back to her chest. Luffy kept her hands on his shoulders, holding on as she allowed him to lead.

His rhythm was easy to pick up: pull out slow, enter faster than before, speed picking up to match their heavy breathing. Lips met as her legs wrapped around his waist, allowing him easier access to make short but quick thrusts. His name was on her tongue, a whimper of a cry hiding in her throat.

She felt nothing but pleasure at that moment—no amount of guilt or anger or fear could match such a feeling, drawing her on the edge of insanity. Nails began to dig into his back, his teeth attacking her lower lip. He had her completely, making sure she enjoyed it just as much as he did.

For the first time, she felt an equal.

He said her name twice before meeting her mouth once more, his hands gliding her hips as his nails dug into her flesh. His muscles tightened under her touch, their breathing uneven and bodies sticky with sweat.

His lips left hers and a groan filled the room, his thrusts sloppy and slowing down. Pressing his forehead to hers, his mouth fell ajar, another groan—much softer than the first—escaping him. Soon enough, he slowed down to a full stop before pulling out. Law's eyes searched hers, a slight frown forming. "Did you reach…?" he began, voice tired.

Luffy shook her head, offering him just the faintest of pouts.

Law arched a brow, murmuring out an apology before scooting back on the bed, hands still on her. "I'll…" Falling silent, he dipped his face between her thighs, prompting her to tense up.

"_Law_," she called out softly, confused as to what he was doing. When she felt his mouth meet her entrance, she stopped any future words—besides his name—from leaving her.

He finished her off within two minutes, his name falling from her lips between loud cries and gasps for air.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

* * *

**Day Eight**

Law left in the morning, thanking her for the wonderful week with a long kiss. "_Be careful_," he'd murmur in her ear over and over again. "_You need to remain safe, promise me you will._"

And she did, smiling when he found her mouth with his, practically dragging her down the entrance drive with him. When they parted, he offered her a soft smirk and left, swearing he'd visit her soon.

* * *

**Night Eight**

She had the mansion cleaned spotless, making sure no evidence of Law lingered about. The only problem she seemed to face, however, was the lack of food in the storage, but she figured she could sneak herself out of any trouble regarding that.

When she heard the cars come up the drive, she approached the entrance, waiting inside as she glanced through the window. It was late, the night stars illuminating their path, but is she squinted hard enough, she could spot Crocodile's familiar figure inside the car.

Her hand reached up to touch her neck, fingers running along her skin.

Eyes widening, she brought her other hand to her neck, searching her flesh. _The necklace is gone!_ With a frantic gaze, she quickly twirled around and bolted up down the hall, running straight pass Coby and Usopp as they went to go greet everybody. The gardener called out her name in confusion, but she ignored him, heading straight up the stairs.

_It's in his room,_ she thought as she went for Crocodile's bedroom, pushing the door open with ease and slamming it shut. She jumped the bed, tossing pillows aside as she searched for the heart pendant. _If he catches me without the necklace, he'll become furious—and what if he figures out what happen?_

_He __**can't**__ find out about Law._

When she failed to find the item under the pillows or sheets, she went to flopping over the edge, eyes searching the underside of the bed. Her legs kicked up, hand reaching inwards when she found it. A smile came to her as she sat up, eyeing the necklace quickly before wrapping it back around her neck.

As she just finished tying it up, the sound of the door opening prompted her to jump up on the bed, attention snapping across the room to find Crocodile eyeing her curiously. There was a long moment of awkward silence, Luffy's eyes wide, his tired ones narrowed.

And finally he spoke, a thin smile coming to life under his scar. "You're waiting for me on my bed?" he questioned, tone amused—_pleased_. He locked the door behind him, making his way across the room as he tossed his coat across his desk. "If I had known you had this surprise in store for me, I would have come back home a lot sooner."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Luffy finds out what happened on the honeymoon. Crocodile becomes more demanding of Luffy. Luffy and Robin catch somebody snooping around the mansion grounds.

* * *

**A/N2:** Ahhh, I know I know, this chapter was pretty bad—probably the worse update. And I feel terrible I had to squish all this stuff together into one chapter. Originally, before I changed the outline &amp; condensed it, all of the stuff that happened in this chapter, from Law opening up about Corazon &amp; the government, to wanting to take down Doflamingo, and even Law and Luffy sleeping together for the first time was going to go over the course of *months*. But because I shortened up the outline, I had to have these events happen *now* in the story. It's a total crap out for the LawLu side of the story, but I swear they'll have more in depth moments in the future.

**But thank you so much for reading and sticking through this terrible chapter! It really means a lot!**

* * *

**Starlight555:** Luffy will make her choice soon enough~ (Chapter 49/50 for sure) But yeah, there isn't going to be a clear happy ending here—the characters are going to have to go through a ton of crap in order to find a happy resolution. Thanks for reading!

**AnnaAshiqa:** Crocodile is very manipulative of his and Luffy's relationship—he knows what he wants, he knows how to get it, and he knows how to work Luffy to his advantage. Ah, more than just fluff with LawLu, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading!

**Guest:** ehhh, I wouldn't go as far to say he was "so paranoid" about it. Like, if I wanted him to act really scared about Luffy getting knocked up, I would have him a total condom freak, and he would constantly express his desires of her *not* to get pregnant. I have him in this story more along the lines of "it would be best if Luffy didn't get knocked up, but if it happens it happens, but I'm not *trying* to make it happen." With the last chapter, him, uh, for the lack of a better term, releasing inside of her was more because there was a lot on his mind and he couldn't think "gotta pull out, gotta pull out, gotta pull out" during it because of such. It was a risk he was willing to take. Thanks for the concerns and reading! :D

**Cereza101:** Ah, yes, drama. Hmm, okay, the next 10 – 12 chapters will have some major drama, but it will also cool down a lot at the same time. The climax of the first part will happen chapters 47-50. Thanks for reading!

**Kiki's Cat:** Awww, thank you so much! And yes, there are so many ways this can end, but I have one in mind that I hope you all enjoy when the time comes. : ) And Law acknowledges the necklace right now, but doesn't realize it was a gift from Crocodile, not yet. The necklace will play more of a role between Crocodile and Luffy, towards the end. Thanks for reading!

**Stardustadventurer: **OHHHHH You can totes kiss, hug, slap, or do whatever with me~ (o/3/o) /hugs back with lots of love because you are an AMAZING reader thank you thank you! Before this chapter, Crocodile was her vent for sexual frustration in a way &amp; he's very good at manipulating her to stay with him. But after this chapter, Law has become more than just a friend for her now, so what can Crocodile give her that Law can't?

And ah, on the subject of babies: Mmmmmm, after this chapter, I think it's pretty obvious what I'm going to do. I AM A TERRIBLE WRITER, I'm sorry, I can't resist cliché ff plot devices like this. They had condoms back then (condoms have been around for a long time, actually). And this will sound very crude, but they did have back alley abortion operations as well, just in case a woman got pregnant and didn't want to carry the fetus to full term. But I doubt the common person was properly educated in sexual intercourse as we are today, so perhaps some thought the "pull-out" method was good enough, or what not. Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter &amp; I apologize if the LawLu smut felt rushed!

**Milkachocolate:** Oh man, it's been only about three-five months, max, I believe. Yeah, not much time has gone by if you really think about it, and she is *super* freaking dependent on him, emotionally/romantically (if you can call that romance/sexually/etc., just like you said. Yeah, and with part two, which starts after chapter 50 (and is basically a sequel, but I'm still going to update the chapters with in this particular story instead of start up a new one), the full story will probably end up about 1oo chapters or more. Part two (I won't go into too much detail right this moment) is going to involved a lot more Doflamingo, a lot more Shanks/Dragon, a lot more of the government, and a lot more of really everybody…but mostly those first few I listed. I hope this chapter proved entertaining and I'm sorry if it felt sped through! Thank you so much for reading and giving me your input—it is much appreciated!

**Askana:** With Olvia, I tried to parallel what happened canon wise. In the manga, she—while thinking it would be the best for Robin—left her daughter when she was a small child to pursue the lost history. I, personally, find that rather messed up in a sense, as with all the other parents who pretty much abounded their children in the story—so in this story, I wanted her to come off saying she has the best interest for Robin, but in the end, does she just end up hurting Robin more? Haha, and yeah, upcoming Crocodile smut will be a bit rougher, and will involve the hook (because I'm into that as well lol) And, aw, thank you so much for the kind words! Thank you so much for reading this story and sticking through it!

**Bartolomeo-Kun:** ahhh, omg I love you so much right now. You have no idea how bad I felt after reading these two reviews, imagining it was little baby Bartolemeo getting all upset over Luffy~ I seriously need to add Bartolomeo into his story ASAP &amp; have him rescue Luffy from all this drama.


	28. Detective

**A/N: Luffy has turned 18 by this point in the story (actually turned 18 way before this chapter, I just keep forgetting to mention this). I didn't write a chapter dedicated to said birthday, or make mention of it any time in any of the chapters, but I thought said information was important enough to make note of up here.**

**Chapter takes place a handful of days after the group returned from the honeymoon…**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Detective

"_Luffy?"_

The maid slowly glanced up from the book she was reading, watching as Nami entered the room, quickly approaching her cot and flopping down. "Luffy," Nami repeated, voice softer this time, "what are you doing?"

"Reading," Luffy answered blankly, eyes drifting down to the book on her lap. The fellow maid followed her stare, frowned slightly, and began to lean into Luffy's arm.

"_The Human Body_," Nami read off slowly, expression dulling. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing…"

Shrugging in response, Luffy _gently_ closed the book and placed it beside her, giving it one firm pat before glancing over to Nami. "I was just curious about what happens in our bodies, that's all." In truth, the book had been loaned to her by Law, happily so when she showed interest in the subject. He claimed that if she read enough, she could easily become his assistant one day if he ever got licensed.

Unfortunately, there were many words that she did not understand and she constantly found herself growing confused over the text. She figured that perhaps anatomy and medicine just wasn't her cup of tea; however, she didn't want to let Law down and just give up entirely. _If I can just finish it…_

"Luffy," Nami repeated, firmer than before as she sat fully erect, "you've been spending your afternoons off in the mansion reading." She threw an arm around Luffy's shoulders, offering her a soft smile. "You should come out to the gardens with Robin and me, yes?"

Luffy couldn't help but tense up. While she was interested in the offer, she was still a bit iffy with interacting with Robin. Besides occasionally aiding Robin with dressing, bathing, or dining, they rarely spoke since her return from the vacation, and it was solely on Luffy's part. She knew that nothing should have happened while they were gone, but a lingering fear of _what if_ seemed to plague her mind.

_If I could easily step out and go to another, why couldn't he?_

Robin was beautiful, a woman grown with soft eyes and a warm smile. _If I was him, I would probably go to her if left alone for a week…_Even though Crocodile had stressed to her that he harbored no interest for his wife, Luffy couldn't help but doubt his words. She figured that Robin had everything to offer him, more than the maid ever could—why wouldn't he sleep with his _wife_ on their honeymoon?

Or perhaps it was simply just guilt?

She did sleep with Law, and while no part of her regretted doing as such, she felt a bit awkward whenever interacting with Crocodile, or strangely enough, Robin. She figured that if she could go sleep with another behind Crocodile's back, why couldn't he do the same to her? And now he had a wife—easier access to do such a thing.

Shaking her head, Luffy exhaled lightly and looked to Nami. "I'm a bit tired from this morning's chores—I think it'll be best if I rest in here for a while."

The orange-haired maid shook her head in defiance, quickly getting up and tugging on Luffy's arm. "Come on, don't be a bore, Luffy! A bit of sunshine will do you good."

Sighing, Luffy gave in with a small smile, allowing Nami to pull her up to her feet. "Fine," she agreed, defeated.

* * *

"It's nice to see you out here again," Robin warmly commented as she strolled through the gardens, offering Luffy one quick smile. "You've been so quiet lately—I was beginning to fear you had grown ill."

Trailing slowly behind the older woman, Luffy shook her head. "I just haven't had the time to come out to the gardens, that's all." While it wasn't exactly true, it wasn't exactly a lie; Luffy was busier those days, what with juggling her chores and trying to finish that _book_. And, of course, avoiding Robin altogether if she had the chance.

Pausing, Robin glanced about quickly before heading towards one of the stone chairs scattered about the grounds. She sent Luffy a look as she patted down the empty spot beside here. "Come and sit by me," she ordered with a cock of her brow.

Doing as such, the maid folded her hands together over her lap and tilted her head back, so she could gaze up at the skies.

"Tsuru made mention that you were in charge of the mansion while we were gone," Robin began, eyes observing Luffy's face. "How was that? I bet it was fun, yes, to be in charge like that?"

A smile attacked Luffy's face, prompting her to glance away as to hide it from Robin. She couldn't help but think of Law and the week they spent together—learning to enjoy each other's company more so than ever.

A faint laugh escaped the older woman, causing the maid to look her way. "You look happy…Did something happen while I was gone?"

Searching edger eyes, Luffy quickly shook her head. "Nothing happened," she answered, voice a slight tremble, giving her away instantly.

"You can tell me anything," Robin reminded her as she shifted in her seat, so that she was fully facing Luffy. "You can trust me, as I can trust you."

Her stomach dropped, leading her to pout ever so slightly. "Ah," Luffy began, tone weak as she crossed her arms. Guilt struck her hard and at that moment, she felt that perhaps entrusting her adventures with Law might ease it, as if not to push Robin away any further. "Well," she began softly, exhaling a deep breath, "I may have had a guest while you all were away…"

"A guest?" The woman brought her hand up to her chin, pausing for a moment as she glanced away. "Luffy," she started, voice picking up, "was it that _man_ from before?" There was a glimmer of interest in her eyes, hungry for the gossip. Said look left Luffy taken aback, as if she was meeting a new side of Robin.

She answered with a stiff nod, watching as Robin broke out into a small smile.

"_Luffy_," she practically gushed, hand reaching out to clasp hers, "that's scandalous, to bring a man over like that." Her cheeks seemed to arise in a pinkish tone as her smile grew. "But it is exciting—I envy you."

"Ah," Luffy objected quickly, "I'm sure your vacation went better, what with you going to an island and all…"

Pulling her hand back, Robin shrugged as her expression returned back to her normal observing calm. "Not truly," she answered softly, a frown taking over. "While the island itself was beautiful, yes, my…company could have been in better taste."

_Company…?_ "You mean…?"

"_Him_," she firmly answered for Luffy, sighing silently afterwards. "He is rather a brute, that one," she started as her legs crossed, a gentle breeze dancing by. "Hardly a word spoken throughout the entire trip, didn't seem happy at _all_, and not once did he sport a smile." Shaking her head, Robin offered Luffy an amused smile. "The worse was the wedding night."

Swallowing, Luffy cocked a brow at the woman's statement, body growing tense. "Did something happen?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

Exhaling, Robin laughed softly. "It was our first night as man and woman, you realize this, yes?"

A grimace took to the maid, but before she had the chance to reply, Robin cut her off.

"If talking about your employer in such a manner makes you uncomfortable, please tell me," she commented, a gentle expressing resting upon her face. "I suppose it can be…rough to imagine him doing such things."

"No…no," Luffy objected with a stutter, heartbeat picking up to match her ever growing panic. "I…you two actually…?"

Robin quickly shook her head _no_. "Like I was trying to say before, _typically_ a newly wedded couple will do such a thing on their first night together, or the second, or third…or fourth, but that failed to happen between us."

Luffy cocked a brow, confused. "You didn't…?"

"No," Robin answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, I suppose we _tried_, but he soon grew upset or ill and decided to stop. We shared a bed for a mere couple of minutes, if that." A laugh escaped her then, hands crossing over her own lap. "Not that I'm complaining—I wasn't looking forward to that portion of our marriage. Perhaps he's incapable of…?" She gave off another laugh, clearly pleased with her own joke.

The maid couldn't help but smile, not from the joke but from the sheer relief she felt at that moment. _They didn't…he didn't…_It felt as if all the panic and stress were beginning to wash away from learning such information, as if all her worries were drifting off.

"I can only guess you had the best week in regards to _that_ subject, what with that special man of yours," Robin added with a smile as she arose, stretching her arms out.

And like that, the guilt rushed right back, prompting Luffy to frown and go blank in the eyes. _That's right…Law…_And if was true: she was intimate with Law, and going by what Robin claimed, she was the only one to step out of whatever relationship she shared with Crocodile.

"We should hurry along now," Robin suggested, taking a step towards Luffy to earn her attention. "I don't want to keep you from your duties too long."

Biting down on her lower lip, Luffy shook her head. "I'm going to stay out here for a few more minutes, if you don't mind…"

Observing her for a moment, Robin gave one nod as she placed her hand down on Luffy's shoulder to pat it. She left shortly after, leaving the maid alone to ponder on her thoughts.

She felt odd, to say the least, sitting there. Moments prior, she was almost convinced that Robin and Crocodile had actually went the full way with each other—that was the obvious thing to do between newly wedded couples, but apparently that was _not_ the case, strangely enough. It puzzled her to realize that it was in fact her, herself, that stepped out of bound…

_It would have been better if he had…then at least…_Then at least she wouldn't feel guilty for going there with Law.

Holding her breath, she flopped back on the stone setting, arms falling to her sides and fingers hovering just over the ground. _Great, another thing to feel bad about._ If there was one thing Luffy could say about herself, it was that she was _terrible_ at making decisions and just _wonderful_ at getting into trouble. _Gramps always said I was an idiot…I guess he was right…_

She brought her hand up to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun as she sighed. _Why can't everything be as easy as eating food? Romance and sex and relationships are too much work…too much drama._ _I might as well start up an affair with Sanji, at least he could offer me food from that relationship._

The maid stayed like that for ten or so minutes, allowing her mind to slowly drift off and body to slump into relaxation. It felt nice, to lie out in the garden like that under the ever cooling skies. And she would have remained that way if not for the movement of bushes off behind her somewhere.

Quickly sitting up, Luffy observed the area, glancing this way and that, looking for the source of the noise. When she caught the sound once more, she cocked her head towards the right, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed the garden grounds up ahead. _Something is moving in the bushes over there…_

The last time that happened, she had found Law snooping around. _Could it be him again?_ She wondered happily, getting up and taking a timid step in the direction of the source. _He shouldn't keep visiting like this—he might get caught._

As she neared the area, she felt her heart flutter as she saw a figure move about in the bushes. It most definitely was a person, that much was obvious, but as she got closer, a fear began to settle in as she realized that it was in fact _not_ Law.

Halting, her eyes widened when the stranger looked her way, surprised to find her there. A moment of silence was exchange between the two, each staring the other down. He wasn't too particularly frightening to look at, a modest outfit with sleeves rolled up, a hat to shield his eyes, and a pair of slacks. He was slender, young, and tired of face.

"Who are you?" she questioned, taking a step away from him. "What are you doing here? Get out!"

The man raised one hand, as if to calm her. "Quiet," he retorted, voice hoarse. "I ain't nobody that concerns you." A moment later, and he took a step towards her, causing her to tense up. "Who are you? You work here?"

Luffy took another step back, glancing to her sides before returning her attention back to the intruder. "You don't belong here," she stated, hands reaching up to hover over her chest. "Leave, _now_."

"Do you work for Crocodile," he questioned her, as if he didn't hear what she just said. "You do, don't you?" he added when she didn't answer. "How about you come with me—I could really use your help here. Listen, I'm a detective and you'd do best if you came with me…"

Luffy shook her head, slapping his hand away when it seemed he was reaching out for her. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You don't belong here." And it was then that she tried to flee, turning around to scurry off until she felt something take ahold of her wrist, pulling her back. With a loud yelp, she yanked herself free, falling forward and shooting her hand out to break her fall.

"Ah, shit," the man said then, tone annoyed.

Flipping over to sit up on her back, Luffy kicked at his shin as hard as she could muster, earning a loud groan and a sharp cruse from the man. In a moment, she was on her feet again, this time actually running.

She didn't stop until she was at the mansion, pushing the back servant door open and finding one certain driver in the hallway, eating a snack. His dull stare met hers, glazing over her scuffled appearance, but before he even had the chance to swallow his food, she spoke. "Some man is out there in the garden—he attacked me!"

A brief moment of hesitation crossed his face, as if he was processing what she had just said. And then, as if his entire mood snapped, he quickly went past her, ordering her to _tell the boss and wait inside_ as he ran out the door and towards the gardens.

Fearful, she did just that, making her way up towards Crocodile's office while clutching her hand, wounded from her fall. Blood smeared her palms, a sting traveling up her arm. Short of breath from the run up the stairs, Luffy entered his office without knocking, earning one confused—and stern—look her way.

"What is it?" he began, falling short when she approached his desk, his eyes falling down to her hands.

The words fell from her lips in a panicked mess. "There is a man outside in the gardens, Daz went out there to go find him and he told me to go tell you."

And just as with Daz, Crocodile's entire demeanor changed, going from annoyed to a state of alert. "He attacked you?" he questioned as he got up from his seat, hand reaching down to open up his desk drawer.

After a stiff nod, Luffy watched as he drew out a handgun, offering her one stern glance. "Go in the bathroom to clean up your wounds, but wait there and don't come out until I return." His tone was angry, yet there was a level of sternness in it Luffy had yet to hear, as if there was no way she could argue back. With a weak nod, she watched as he hurried out of the small office.

* * *

She dipped her hand back into the sink bowl, frowning when more streaks of blood mixed in with the water. While the bleeding had slowed down quite a bit in the past five to ten minutes, her wound still bled. Washing it, apparently, was not enough.

Frowning, she lifted her hand up and examined the cut. _It felt as if I landed on a rock or something_, she thought, looking at the slightly jagged slit running under her thumb. _This might take a while to heal…_

The turning of the door knob prompted her to glance away from the sink, eyes softening when she watched Crocodile enter. With expression originally that of frustration, he looked to her with curiosity and concern. "What did he do to you?" he began, approaching her and taking her hand to examine it more. "Did he hurt you anywhere else…?"

"He grabbed me," Luffy answered softly, frowning when it seemed that the bleeding had begun to pick up from his inspection.

Crocodile's stare snapped up from their hands to meet hers. "He grabbed you?" he questioned, voice hard, growing angry. "_Where?_ Where did he grab you?"

"Just the wrist," she began, sensing his urgency. When Crocodile pushed past her, she added, "He wanted me to come with him…he said he was a detective?"

He took to rolls of hand towels placed opposite the bathroom, sending her a slight frown after her statement. "A detective?" he asked, picking out one of the towels. Turning around, he lowered his brows and nodded his head to the sink. "Sit up on top of the counter."

Luffy did as he commanded, watching silently as he approached her once more.

"Hand," he ordered, to which she offered. He pressed the towel against her wound with his palm, his fingers wrapping along the back of her hand. His stare met hers and he continued on with the questions. "What else did he say?"

Her eyes fell to their hands, pressed against his chest. "He wanted to know if I worked for you, and he wanted me to come with him. I don't know where to…he was snooping around, I think…I fought him off the best I could." Her gaze lifted to his once more. "Did you find him?"

His lips formed a firm line under his scar. "Daz only got a glimpse of him as he ran off down the street and by the time I got down there, he was completely gone." Pausing, he lowered her hand down upon her lap only to lift his own hand to her chin. "Listen," he began, "I don't want you to worry about that man—I will _not_ tolerate him hurting you like this. He's at the top of my list now for what he did to you. Coming onto_** my**_ property…attacking you…" The words fell silent as he shook his head, clearly frustrated.

After a long moment, he smirked before pressing his forehead against hers. "I promise you, as long as you're _**mine**_, no one will ever get away with doing you harm, that I swear."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: Crocodile's men eventually find the intruder and Crocodile takes care of him in front of Luffy. Only problem is, the detective has some grave things to say that prompt Luffy to question who she can really trust. Things and situations start to become too much for the maid to handle.**

* * *

**A/N2: **Ah! Hey there! It's been a few weeks since the last update, and I apologize for that. Honestly, I had to rewrite the rest of the plot outline because I just wasn't happy with it as it is, and that is a main reason as to why there hasn't been an update for so long. I just couldn't bring myself to write being so unhappy with the plot, but as soon as I came up with a new outline that I'm pleased with, I produced this chapter. So things will be slightly different from what I've been leading them up to be, not to any extremes though.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Cereza101: **haha, I hope this was a good read for you. Sorry for the long wait! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Anon:** All your questions shall be answered eventually! Thank you so much for reading/reviewing!

**Starlight555:** Aw, thank you! Originally, before I rewrote the outline, Chopper was going to be in this story, as a human. But I've cut him out of *Part one* of this story. Since then, I've yet to come up with a new role for him…All other questions will be answered (or somewhat answered) eventually in the story! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Kiki's Cat:** Food does make everything better for Luffy. Honestly, Luffy is just going to end up romantically involved with food, that's the plot twist xD And yeah, Crocodile is becoming accustomed to having Luffy around, and might start acting (if he hasn't already) possessive/protecting of her. Thank you so much for reading/reviewing!

**Tissuecube:** Yeah, Law is going to be a complicated character in regards to if Luffy can trust him or not. Your worries and questions will all be answered/taken care of soon in the story : ) And regards to Crocodile viewing Luffy as his younger self, Luffy will follow somewhat of a similar path, learning who to trust &amp; facing struggles. Thank you for reading! And reviewing! :D

**BlueFightingPanda:** Yes, yes Luffy is.

**Son of Whitebeard:** He's already abusive in a sense, mentally so, in a controlling way almost. But yeah…Crocodile is going to have some ups and downs coming the next tenish chapters. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D


	29. Witnessing

**A/N: Hey! I'm so sorry for the long hiatus this story has had. A lot of things happened in my life and I lost all motivation to write because of such; however, I've found myself finding said lost motivation, hence why there's an update now. Again, many apologizes for taking *forever* to update.**

***A few days have passed in the timeline of this story from the previous chapter.**

***Chapter is violent**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command**| Witnessing

"_What is it?_" she gasped, eyes snapping open as her heart pounded hard in the dead of the night. Her stare found its way to the hand shaking her shoulder, fingertips digging into her flesh.

"Wake up." His voice was as stern as ever, eyes blank of any emotion as he pulled away from the cot. He sported his suit, a black outline in the lightless room.

Rubbing her eyes, Luffy sat up slowly, watching Daz turn and head for the door. "We're to leave, now," he added quickly, attention falling down upon the other maid.

"What is going on?" Nami muttered, sleep still strong in her tone. When her white eyes came to life in the dark of the room, she sat up quickly, looking the driver's way. "What…?"

"This doesn't concern you," he answered, turning to glance back Luffy's direction before giving the final order. "Get _dressed._"

* * *

In silence she met him in the main hall, outfit sloppily pulled together, her hair unkempt, and darken circles under her eyes hinting at the lack of sleep. The entrance door hung open, cold air sweeping in softly and brushing along her face as she approached the driver. "What is it?" she finally questioned, glancing up his way when she failed to see anything of interest outside.

"We're leaving," he answered, hand taking to her shoulder to not so gently guide her out.

Luffy objected with the smallest of grunts, frowning as she almost tripped over the ledge that was the door frame, but one hard glance from Daz terminated any complaints. Folding her arms, she tucked tiny fingers under her underarms and followed the driver down the drive, narrowing her stare when she spotted his favorite car of use awaiting them.

It sat empty.

"Is Crocodile coming?" she questioned softly, quickening her pace so she could examine his face.

"He's waiting for us," Daz answered simply, opening the door for her before taking to the driver's seat. "Get in," he ordered before slamming his own door.

Exhaling hard, she shook her head once before hopping in, trying her best to match his strength when she closed her own door. Weakly, it closed, with her falling back on the seating when he drove the car forward at an alarming rate. Shifting, she leaned forward, hand pulling open the small window separating the two.

"Where are we going," she questioned, widening her stare when he made a sharp turn, prompting her body to fly towards the opposite side of the car. "Be _careful!_" As she made her way to lean back towards the window, Daz slammed it shut, the muffled words of _stay_ _quite_ coming to life from his side.

Lowering her brows, Luffy pushed it back open, sporting a fat pout when she felt the car start to make another harsh turn. "Just tell me where we're going," she stated, hands steading her from another fall.

"I can't drive with you pestering me like this," the driver shot back, tone tired and hinting at his annoyance. When his hand lifted back to shut the window, she swatted it away, causing him to turn his attention back briefly to share one hard glance.

"I'll stop talking if you answer my question," she bargained, offering him one weak—and regretful—look to accompany his unamused expression. She watched as he gave one long eye roll, face returning forward before he exhaled loudly.

"We might have found him," he answered, defeat in his voice.

"Who?" Luffy quickly asked, gasping when the car came to an abrupt halt. Her body flung forward, forehead hitting the small area above the window and prompting her body to fall back on the seat.

Turning around to fully face her to the best of his ability, Daz sharply stated, "_The intruder from the other day_," before slamming the window hard and driving forward once again.

Rubbing her head, Luffy sank back in her seat, sending daggers at the back of the driver's skull. _You didn't have to stop the car like that,_ she thought bitterly. And while she would have _loved_ to bug him so more to get back at him for doing such a thing, her mind focused on what he said. _Did they really find that guy?_

Luffy had hoped so. The cut on her hand only just started to scab over, still a sting whenever she pressed it against an object. _They probably want me to identify him as the intruder…If it is him, he deserves whatever he gets, attacking me like that…_

A slight frown took to forming upon her lips, eyes glancing down to her palm to examine the healing cut. _What will happen to him, though?_ The maid was unsure if Crocodile was one for involving authority. Yes, in the past, he used them as a threat to get what he wanted, yet, was he truly able to report a detective in—if what the man claimed was true—without getting in some form of trouble himself?

Luffy was sure that one slip of the tongue from the intruder to the right people could land Crocodile in some big trouble, so she had to wonder what exactly her employer had in mind for the future of such a man.

_He'll probably just beat him up,_ she convinced herself after a few minutes of horrid imaginations. Of course, she was full aware that Crocodile was capable of doing something much more lethal than that, but simply because he trespassed and happened to cause a small cut on her palm?

_No_, she thought to herself with a weak tilt of her head. _He isn't __**that**__ monstrous…_

_Is he?_

* * *

The building before her was unfamiliar, but in similar taste to the warehouse she was taken to before, only smaller and farther away from the city limits. Inhaling deeply, Luffy quickly followed Daz inside, wincing at the blinding lights within. A strong smell of iron attacked her nostrils, causing her to exhale and wiggle her nose in disgust.

"This way," Daz called out for her when she began to fall behind. He disappeared behind a flight of stairs, and when she made her way there, she found a room hidden from main sight.

Curiously, she followed suit, frowning at the ever-growing odor of iron and blinking when she spotted familiar faces. Mr. Five stood towards the back of the small room, arms crossed and stare lingering towards the ceiling. Opposite of him sat Crocodile, elbow propped to an adjacent table and hand holding a small gun. And to the middle sat what appeared to be a man, face covered with a small brown sack and wrists and ankles bound to the chair that held him.

Splotches of blood covered his shirt, clothes ripped from an obvious scuffle.

Once again, Daz gave her a push forward before leaving the room altogether, closing the door behind him and alerting all those inside of her presence.

She noticed Mr. Five's stare first, watching as he tilted his head briefly before smirking and glancing back upwards. Then she was looking Crocodile's way, offering him a confused look and backing up a foot or so when he arose. His clothes weren't as tidy as he typically wore them; sleeves rolled up high, neck collar unbutton, not to mention a rather alarming spot of blood towards the bottom of his shirt. When she went to question him, he silenced her by taking her forearm and pulling her his way.

Her side met his, his hand settling upon her hip and holding her in close. "I have a present for you," he simply said before greeting her with a brief kiss. A smile took to his face after pulling away, eyes lingering towards the center of the room. "We found him," he explained, leading her towards the chair and gesturing for her to sit.

"Mr. Five caught him snooping around one of my warehouse," Crocodile continued on, turning his back to her, avoiding her wide-eyed stare. "Only an _idiot_ would be foolish enough to do as such after trespassing upon my property."

Luffy watched as Mr. Five offered another smirk, pulling forward and slapping the side of the sack, earning a loud muffled groan from the man. "Only an _idiot_ would be foolish enough to attack the boss's…" Pausing, he sent her a coy stare, shrugged, and amusedly said, "…the boss's precious little toy." He gave the man another good smack, this time much harder than before.

"Mr. Five…" Crocodile's tone was duller than previous, prompting the younger male to give a weak frown before pulling the sack off, revealing a snot-nosed mess of bruised eyes and one fat lower lip. A black rag sat in his mouth, muffling out his loud cries of protest and fear.

Panicked eyes searched the room frantically before darting over Luffy's way, widening slightly when they locked stares.

Crocodile looked her way, cocking one thin brow. "Is this the man who attacked you?"

While the abuse placed upon the man's face made him unrecognizable, Luffy could easily remember those eyes, wide and full of horror. Swallowing, she glanced up at Crocodile, nodding once, stiffly and silently.

"Isn't that something," Crocodile slowly commented as he returned his attention back to the man. "Mr. Five?"

"Sir?" Mr. Five answered as he circled around the man.

"Did you not say that this man claimed no recollection of the trespassing incident?"

"I did," Mr. Five responded, sporting a smile as he placed one hand to the man's shoulder, earning a low pained groan. "In fact, he swore up and down that he was not the man we were searching for. I suppose that makes him a liar?"

Crocodile nodded in agreement, placing his gun down upon the table beside Luffy before stepping forward. "Remove the rag, Mr. Five."

Mr. Five did as such, pulling away to toss it in a corner.

Haggard breaths filled the room, eyes bouncing from one person to the next, _pleading_. When he met Luffy's stare, she felt her stomach drop, almost as she too felt his desperation. _Don't look at me like that,_ she thought, too afraid to speak her mind.

"Leave," Crocodile blankly ordered, prompting her to shift in her seat, ready to get up. "Not you," he added, glancing Luffy's way.

Uncomfortable, she slid back against the chair, eyes trailing after Mr. Five as he left the room, the door creaking as he opened and closed it.

"Do you even realize who I am?" Crocodile began as he made his way behind the man, almost as if a hawk circling around its future prey. When the captive made no attempts to answer, he kicked at one of the legs of the chair, earning a low cry. "Did I not just ask you a question?"

"C-Crocodile," the man spoke, a lisp to his words, as if hard to speak from his bruised lips. "You're Crocodile," he repeated, eyes glancing off to the side when Crocodile slowly approached in said direction.

Nodding once, Crocodile slowly added, "And I'm to assume you are fully aware of what I do?"

Wincing, the man nodded, bloodied spittle falling from his mouth.

"Interesting," Crocodile observed, head tilting slightly. "And knowing all this, you still decided to attack my maid?"

The man's eyes shot up to meet his, head shaking wildly _no_. "I didn't…I didn't! I swear, I never touched her."

Crocodile's smirk dissolved to form a firm frown. "I don't appreciate liars."

"I didn't!" the man cried out again, wrists wiggling at his obvious attempts to break free. After a moment of struggle, his body went limp, a long string of curses falling from his lips from the defeat.

Exhaling, Crocodile motioned to Luffy. "She has the cut to prove it," he countered softly. "And she has identified you—why feel the need to continue the lies? You're only digging yourself in a deeper ditch."

The man opened his mouth to object once more; however, mid-sentence he was met with a fist to his nose, head snapping back and the sound of bone cracking filling the room.

Jumping up in her seat, Luffy watched in horror as the man's head tilted forward, a trail of blood running down his nose and pooling down upon his lap.

Shaking his hand out, Crocodile laughed lightly before stating, "I did tell you I didn't appreciated liars."

"Fucking bastard," the man snarled, lifting his head to spit but failing miserably as his spittle only drew down his chin. More blood flew out from his nostrils as he exhaled, throwing one angry glance Luffy's way. "_Barely_ touched your damn whore…" When he went to spit, this time in her direction, he made contact with her cheek.

In a frantic spew of whines and disgusted gasps, Luffy wiped the bloodied fluid from her skin with the back of her sleeve. Lowering her brows, she returned a hard stare his way, gritting her teeth at how disgusted she felt at the moment, any fear and pity she had for him quickly dissolving.

Crocodile's fist met his stomach, causing him to cough out and laugh between pained cries. "Didn't like how I talked to the lady, huh?" he asked, throwing a tired look upwards at the mobster.

"This night just got much worse for you because of such," Crocodile informed him, tone empty of any amusement he had earlier. He turned his attention Luffy's way, eyes searching hers briefly before he smirked and simply ordered, "Bring me the knife upon the table."

Blinking twice, Luffy glanced to her side, first taking in the hand gun before finding a rather large knife across the table. Biting down on her lower lip, she looked back to Crocodile, taking in his single nod before slowly grabbing the weapon. With weak legs, she got up and approached him, handing it over tentatively.

His fingers weaved around the handle and returned his gaze to the man before them. "Who do you work for?"

"Fuck y—"

Crocodile slammed the knife deep into the man's hand, earning a loud piercing cry that caused Luffy to tense up. On instinct, her hands clamped together over her chest, as if she too had felt the same pain he did. The worse part, however, was the look of calm upon her employer's face after doing such an act, unbothered by what he just did.

"Who sent you," he repeated, tone sterner this time as he left the blade wedged inside the palm.

"The government, fuck!" the detective cried out, eyes glued upon his new wound. His fingers twitched, legs shaking. "_Get it __**out**_," he pleaded, gaze shooting up to meet Luffy's.

She only looked away, her breathing hard to keep under control.

"And how does the government know where I live, hmm?" Crocodile questioned next, twisting the weapon only slightly. "Who tipped them off?"

The man's eye began to roll back, teeth clamping down on his lower lip. "S-stop," he begged, gasping out when Crocodile did as such. Between rough pants, he spat up more blood, tears rolling down his cheeks. "A source, somebody close to you…"

Luffy widened her stare at his answer, a frown beginning to form upon her lips. _Somebody close to Crocodile…?_

"Who?" The word was strained, the urgency in his voice strong and obvious. "_Tell me!_"

Laughing, the man shook his head, slumping in his seat as he howled out another spew of curses. "Fuck you," he groaned, eyes snapping towards Crocodile's direction. "_FUCK_. _**YOU**_."

"I really doubt you can in the state you're in right now," the older male snapped back, circling around to the side of the man. "If you tell me who tipped you all off, I'll let you live—a promise."

The captive shook his head, unconvinced. "Not that stupid," he objected. "Besides, seeing you squirm trying to figure out who's betrayed you makes my night a hell of a lot better right now."

"You do realize your life is literally in the palm of hand right now, don't you?" Crocodile retorted, frustration taking to his face.

Licking his lips, the man softly said, "Somebody in your life has alternative motives, working with the government to get you behind bars…but you'll never pry the name from my lips."

_Alternative motives?_ Holding her breath, Luffy glanced down at her hands, eyes widening as she thought over the man's words. _Working…for the government?_ Had she not just learnt of a man working in secret for the government? Somebody in relations to a person close to her?

Luffy's gut tightened, her fingers curling inward. _Law…Law mentioned Corazon and his affiliations to the government…sneaking information about his brother…_She exhaled slowly, piecing together a horrid realization.

_Is the man he's speaking of Corazon?_

And if so, how would Corazon know such information about Crocodile?

_Unless…Law…?_

An arm slunk around her waist, pulling her back against something hard.

_No…he wouldn't…Law promised he wouldn't!_

Hot breath tickled her ear, lips sinking down to touch the curve of her jaw. "How should _we_ punish him?" Crocodile's voice was a whisper in her mind.

_Law swore to me he wouldn't repeat what I told him…But…but how would this man and the government know then? Through…through Corazon?_

"I want you to help me teach him a lesson," Crocodile continued to sing into her ear, hand cupping her neck and holding her in close. "I want this to be a learning experience for you, as well, to understand and witness what I'm willing to do for you."

_If it truly was Corazon, then who told him?_

"Together, we can eliminate all our enemies."

_Law._

Pulling away from Luffy, Crocodile went for the gun, picking it up and approaching her front. In silence, he slid it into her hands, eyes searching her blank stare. "I want you to shoot him in the leg."

"I…" Her stare fell down upon the weapon, yet she could not process Crocodile's request.

"I'll help you," he offered, returning back to her backside, handless arm wrapping around her waist and hand drawing hers upward. The gun was pointed straight at the man, and loud exhales of bloody snot escaped his nostrils.

"I don't…" she tried to object, voice weak, mind a flutter with other thoughts of betrayal and hurt.

"Wrap you finger around here," he instructed, working her fingers with his own to properly hold the weapon. "And _pull_."

Her palm grew hot when her finger flexed, a loud explosion stinging her ears as blood struck her face. Between whimpers, she watched as the man struggled in his seat, eyes glued down upon his knee now busted open. She made her own attempts to struggle free, but Crocodile kept her close, whispering _you did well_ over and over again as he wiped her face clean, almost as if he were proud of her.

The gun fell from her grip, legs growing weak beneath her. She could barely believe she actually pulled the trigger, and as she went to fall to her knees, the man behind her kept her firmly in the standing position. "_You did amazing_," he'd whisper to her between kisses, voice full of lust. "_Perfect…in every way…"_

She shook her head, a whine crawling out of her throat. "No." _No, no, no, no!_

"I want you to watch," he continued, allowing her to slip down to the floor and fall upon her bottom. In utter disgust, Luffy watched in horror as he scooped the gun up before approaching the screaming man. Quickly, he pushed the handle into the mouth, keeping it propped open. "I've grown tired of your voice," he declared, pulling the knife up and out of its fleshy prison. "And since you've decided to withhold information, I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you don't need _this_ anymore."

Her hands clamped over her mouth as she watched the scene unfurl before her, the sound of pure terror erupting from the man's lungs sending shivers down her spine. The metal flashed as it cut through the pink muscle, blood pooling down from purple lips.

She felt her stomach travel up and she bolted up for the door, pushing past whoever was in her path and making her way for the outside world. She didn't know how far she got but soon enough, she found herself hurling up her insides, tears streaking down pale cheeks. Everything hurt: her mind, stomach, and throat…nothing seemed right. That smell of blood and guts still lingered in her nose and no amount of fresh air seemed to cure her of it. Inhaling sharply, she got up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. The world was spinning around her, fast and hard.

A hand touched her back and she pulled forward, _**away**_—far away from him. "No," she cried out, more disgusted than anything. "Don't…don't touch me," she ordered, falling down on her knees to throw up once more.

His arms were around her, almost as if he were trying to comfort her at such a trying time; however, his touch only seemed to do the opposite. "Come back inside," he suggested.

"No," she objected, shaking her head and covering her wet eyes with her arm. "I don't…I don't want to go back in _there_."

"Okay, you don't have to," Crocodile agreed, hand resting on her side as he tried to work his way to her front, failing to when she pulled away farther.

"I want to go home," she begged, wincing when she felt another round of nausea.

"We will," he offered as he tried to pull her arm away from her face. "We will, just get up."

Luffy shook her head once more, gagging once when she felt the need to throw up, yet nothing came up. "I want to go _home_, with my family!"

His chest rose against her side. "You can't," he simply answered.

"I didn't sign up for this," she whined, shrugging his hand off her in order to pull away fully. Getting up, she wiped her nose and eyes, shaking her head as the image of that man's tongue getting severed off attacked her mind. "You didn't need to do all that!"

Still sitting on the ground, Crocodile shook his head, heavy eyes falling to her feet. "You knew what I was capable of…" He met her stare soon enough, a smirk alive under his scar. "It'd be idiotic of you if you didn't realize this by now."

"I'm going home," she stated, flexing her fingers as she turned towards the car, mind frantic to keep her under control. "I'm…"

"Not like you've used that threat before," Crocodile called out, laughing as he got up and followed her into the dark of the night. "You'll throw you're tantrum," he continued on as he caught up to her side, "and by morning, you'll be in my arms. Is that not the case?"

Approaching the car, Luffy tried to open the door, failing to do so when Crocodile pulled her around to face him, her body pinned between his and the machine.

"Did you not feel a rush when you shot him?" he questioned, eyes wide and searching. "Did it not feel wonderful to pull that trigger?"

"No," Luffy shot back, horrified and angry at his excitement over the matter. "That…_that was cruel_!"

Crocodile's eyes hardened ever so slightly. "What was cruel was him bringing you harm the other day. He was your enemy and deserved what he got."

"He was your enemy!" Luffy objected. She wiggled, trying her best to worm away from him, but stopped when he pressed his hand beside her head on the car door.

"Yes," he agreed. "The moment he harmed you, he became my enemy. And I destroyed him before he could do anymore damage." His eyes trailed down to her hand, lips forming a firm line. "Do you truly expect any less from me?"

Her lips opened to speak, yet nothing came out except a heavy exhale. Slumping against the car, she fluttered her eyes shut and brought her fist up gently to his chest, mind churning around all the new information she gained that night. From the fear of Law betraying her to the horrifying experience with that detective, Luffy almost thought this all to be some sick nightmare.

She wished that was the case, that she were still asleep in her cot beside Nami's, with Daz never waking her up to drag her all the way out there.

"You're just not used to it yet, that's all," Crocodile finally concluded for her. His hand slid down the car, pulling the door handle and moving her aside to lead her in. "I'll have Daz drive you back to the mansion," he added when she sat down, hand lingering on her shoulder. "But I want to teach you…_everything_."

Before she had the chance to respond, he closed the door.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time**: Luffy ponders more on her fears of Law betraying her as well as the situation between her and Crocodile. Crocodile brings up an idea that Luffy strongly disagrees with and she realizes she needs to grow more confident if she wishes to have a fighting chance with her employer.

* * *

**A/N2: Okay, so I'm thinking the update schedule will be as such: I'll update the story once a week, but if I finish writing to the ending of part one, I'll upload the chapters at a faster rate (multiple updates within a week). I have about twentyish chapters left until the ending of part one, and I'm hoping to write at about a rate of three-four chapters a week. We'll see how that turns up.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading and being patient with me. Again, I'm sorry for the long update, but hopefully, the go around, I'll finish the story, or at least up to part one.**


	30. XXX

*****oOoOoOo signifies smut train, as you should know by now!**

**To Serve at his Command**| XXX

The warm bath water stung her cut when she dipped her hand within to test the temperatures. Wincing, she pulled back quickly, clutching her palm against her chest before arising from the ledge of the tub.

For only a mere second, she looked to the full-length mirror, taking in her paled skin and dull gaze. The toll from the previous night was written clearly upon her face, that nauseous feeling still lingering within. But the young maid had much to do that morning, and pondering on the horrors of the night before, she figured, would do her no justice.

Taking to the door of the small bathroom, Luffy peered inside Robin's bedchambers, eyes glancing around quickly to find the woman. Upon catching her at her vanity, Luffy offered one thin smile. "It's ready," she spoke, exhaling silently when Robin looked her way, evidence of a long restful sleep upon her soft facial features.

Stretching her arms out, the older woman arose and offered a warm smile. "Thank you," she stated, gently moving aside Luffy in order to enter the bathroom. Following suit, the maid knelt down to collect discarded robes, eyes roaming over to the counter to find a dry spot to place them. "Is there anything else you require for your bath?" she questioned quietly, folding the clothing all the while.

The sound of water splashing briefly filled the room until silence.

"No, this is fine," Robin answered before yawning.

As Luffy went to make her leave, the woman called out to her softly. "Wait," Robin spoke, prompting the maid to turn around and cock a brow. "Come; sit beside me—I want to talk to you."

Blinking, Luffy gave a stiff nod, quickly making her way over to the side of the tub and kneeling down, eyes averting the naked flesh revealed under the water line. It wasn't as if she were embarrassed of seeing Robin in such a state—no, she had seen her like such many times, from previous baths and aiding her in dressing. For her, it was along the lines of her being envious at how more feminine Robin's build was compared to her own—more curves and body filled out more.

"Luffy," Robin began as she brought a washcloth to her neck, rubbing in a slow circular pattern, "I heard tale from Nami that you were taken somewhere by the driver last night, hmm?"

"Ah," Luffy mouthed, hands folding together over her knees. "Yes, Daz needed me, so he came into our rooms…"

The older woman pouted slightly, drawing the cloth up her shoulder. "That was rather indecent of him to do as such," she commented. "To barge in a young lady's room like that…what was it he wanted?"

Luffy couldn't help but catch the look of concern that crawled across Robin's face, brows cocked, eyes round, and lips pouted. "You look…_ill_ this morning, I only ask because of such," she added when the maid made no quick attempts to answer.

Inhaling, Luffy glanced over to a small window harboring the upper corner of the room, light pouring in and scattering across the floor. "Ah," she began slowly, unsure of how to word what exactly happened the night prior. "He…he needed me to assist him."

"_Assist_ him?"

Rubbing her chin with her index finger, Luffy exhaled. She nodded twice before glancing back Robin's way. _Just tell her the basics…she won't leave you alone until you do…_ "Remember the other day when that man came onto the property?"

Widening her stare, Robin sat up in the tub, knees folding in to cover her exposed breasts. "Yes," she quickly answered, worry coming to life upon her face. "Yes, that man who attacked you?"

"Daz, or well, one of Crocodile's…_men_ caught him, and they wanted me to identify him."

"And it _was_ him, then?" Robin questioned, face ever so slightly relaxing.

The maid nodded.

Falling back against the back of the tub, Robin flung one hand over the rim, frowning just briefly. "What happened then?"

Imagines of blood and broken skin attacked her mind, prompting her to glance away and wince. She felt as if she could gag at that moment, a hand reaching up to cover her mouth.

"_Luffy?_"

Sniffing, she inhaled softly, trying to calm herself and more importantly, her upset stomach. "I'd…I'd rather not talk about it," she answered, gaze traveling across the water and up Robin's legs. "It makes me sick to think about it."

Leaning forward, the older woman gently traced her fingers across Luffy's shoulder, eyes searching hers. "You're scaring me," she whispered, as if afraid for anybody else to hear. "What…" Biting down on her lower lip, she exhaled deeply and softly asked, "Are you alright?"

Shrugging, Luffy realized she had no good answer for such a question. How _could_ she be alright? From the events of last night and the idea of Law betraying her, she didn't even know how she kept her breakfast up for as long as she did.

And the worst of it all was trying to figure out which of the two affected her the _most_.

The abuse placed on that detective was in all honestly, hard for her to accept. She had never in her short years seen somebody so bloodied and broken, and the overall horrifying experience of pulling that trigger left her mentally uneasy.

But it was the utter thought of Law betraying her trust that pushed her over her limits. With Crocodile, she expected something along those lines, but with Law…she had given herself to him—her trust, heart, and everything in between.

_Could he have really fed the information to Corazon?_

It was obvious that the _source_ the detective mentioned had to be Corazon—it just _had_ to be! He matched the description almost entirely.

_And then that could only mean that Law told him…told him everything about Crocodile…about Ace?_

Had she been played? Just like how Crocodile had predicted back at that brothel; he had warn her not to trust Law, spoke of how he was just using her to get to him…

_And he was right…_

She hated herself more than anything at that moment, for being dumb enough to fall for it. _Law used me…he used me…he…_

A blurred memory came to her, of some drunken night spent alone with the doctor in training. _He questioned me about Crocodile, asked…asked about secrets and letters? And did he not take something from the closet…?_ Holding her breath, her eyes widened before falling to her lap, fingers twitching.

_It __**was**__ Law._

"Luffy?" Robin called out, prompting her to blink and return back to reality. "Luffy, are you listening to me?"

Shaking her head, she glanced to her right, meeting a set of wide eyes. "I…I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I'm…I'm alright, don't worry." A forced smile came to life upon her lips, her hand reaching up to cup Robin's. "Truly, I'm just a little upset in the stomach from the lack of sleep, I think."

Remaining mute, Robin shook her head before falling back against the tub. "I just worry for you, that's all."

Nodding, Luffy arose, brushing off her skirts all the while. "Yes, I swear," she declared, trying to give the woman the most happy of tones. "If you don't mind, I need to go do my other chores."

"Ah, yes…go ahead," Robin agreed as she drew her hair over her shoulder. "But be careful—don't overwork yourself," she added when Luffy went for the door.

Pausing at the frame, Luffy pressed her hand to the wall and smiled weakly. "I will…"

Leaving the small room, she quickly made her way through the bedroom, hands rolling up her sleeves as she felt her skin grow hot.

_She's right,_ Luffy thought as she entered the hall, closing the door and falling back against it to relax briefly. _I do need to be more careful, with everything…Crocodile, Ace's safety…and now Law?_

Frowning, she fought back the urge to groan out in despair. _I can't believe he could do this to me! I told him everything about Ace and…and he's just slipping it to the government!_ If the wrong people found out about her brother and his affiliations with the mob, she was sure he'd be a big target for them. _And if he gets hurt, it'll be my entire fault!_

Luffy cursed herself for not keeping her big mouth shut.

_Trust no one…_His words rang true through her mind as she pushed herself away from the door. _Crocodile was right the entire time…he knew…he knew._ Licking her lower lip, she made her way down the hall towards his room, fists flexed. _I should have listened_. She made a right down the East wing, where she would find him.

Drawing her hand to his bedroom door, she tapped lightly. Entering quickly, she closed the door and made sure to lock it before looking for his frame. She found him easily, sitting at his desk chair as he worked his tie, eyes slowly glancing her way.

He cocked a brow, surprised be her saddened entrance it seemed. "Yes?" he questioned, gaze tip-toeing behind her to fall upon the now locked door handle.

"I want to talk about what happened last night."

His stare flicked up to hers quickly at the sound of that. "_Yes?_" he repeated, hand giving up on the tie and falling to his side.

Approaching his side, she began to fumble around with his tie, working it for him. She was by no means good at it, but it allowed her something to do as she thought about what to say. After a moment, and a low hum on Crocodile's part, Luffy frowned and met his stare. "What happened last night…it was…"

"A learning experience," he finished for her, swatting her hands away when it became obvious she was just playing with the cloth around his neck. "Would you not agree?"

She wouldn't and her heavy frown hinted as such. Swallowing, she crossed her arms, tucking her fingers away to her sides. "Is that man…?"

"Dead?" he finished for her once again, offering her the slightest of smirks. "Not quite, unless Mr. Five has disposed of him—I'm uncertain of his_ current _condition; however, the last I saw of him, he was…" Tilting his head, his smirk morphed into a smile. "Well, let's just say he had better nights."

Pouting slightly, Luffy glance towards the window behind him, taking in the morning fog slowly arising from the streets below. "Why did you show me all that last night?" Her words came out blank of emotion, eyes still avoiding his stare.

A long pause was shared between the two. Shifting in his seat, Crocodile fell against the back of the chair, arms hanging across the armrests. "I wanted you to understand what happens to those who oppose me." When Luffy's gaze fell to his own, he slowly added, "And what happens to those who harm those…important to me."

Cocking a brow, Luffy questioned, "_Important?_"

The roll of his eyes gave his annoyance away, but after a light shrug, he nodded. "Don't get excited, though," he quickly objected, hand reaching up to scratch his jaw. "I mean it in the minutest of manners."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Humming, the maid shook her head, offering him a playful smile when he looked her way. "I don't think so," she objected, moving his hand aside to crawl into his lap. A look of surprise took to the man's face but she ignored it, trying her best to keep herself confident. "I think you're lying," she added after settling her knees to each side of his hips, bottom resting on top his crotch.

He accepted her easily, pressing his handless arm to her lower back to offer support. "Is that so?" he questioned, thin brow arching as he searched her expression.

"Mhmm," she agreed with a soft nod. "I should be the upmost of importance, no?" She could feel her cheeks warm up slightly at the comment, finding herself surprised with her bold tone. Yet, she couldn't fight the flutter in her chest at the thought of Crocodile, at the thought of how _right _he had been the entire time…and it would be a lie if she said being close to him as such didn't make her feel better.

Tilting his head, Crocodile drew his fingers up against her neck, thumb brushing along the edge of the heart pendant. "Where has this new side of you come from?" he questioned, tone amused and stare curious. "Has last night's adventure awakened something within?"

Frowning, Luffy mouthed a _no_ before leaning forward to press her mouth to his ear, taking in the scent of cigar that seemed to linger in his hair. "No," she repeated in a whisper. "I just…" With words dying upon her tongue, she slid her hand down his stomach, running fingers along the fabric above his crotch. She felt his body tense beneath hers, clearly alert to her touch.

"You're being very _bold_ this morning," he observed then, eyes slowly glancing towards the door. "What has gotten into you?"

Sighing, Luffy pushed away from his neck, offering him an annoyed stare. "Do you not like?" Shifting her body, she pushed her hips forward, earning the softest of noises from the man. "Is this not…_good?_"

Eyes widening slightly, he looked back her way, brows arched high. "I have a lot to do this morning," he began, words weak as his hand began to dip down between their bodies.

Luffy felt fingers trace under her skirts, prompting a smile to form upon her lips. "Do you?" she questioned in a pouty tone, tensing when she felt his touch travel up her thigh.

"I really do," he answered, lips hanging ajar slightly, his breath escaping him in a quicker pace than before. "I have meetings and…plans…and…?"

Luffy pressed her hands to his shoulders, forehead falling forward to rest against his as she felt his hand cup her crotch. His fingers were quick to run along the center of her undergarments, prompting a small whine to escape her lips. "And…?" she questioned him, tone growing breathy.

"And I need to start the process of relocating," he finished, voice growing quiet as he stopped the movements of his fingers. Soon enough, he pulled his hand free from beneath her, resting it upon her thigh.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Relocation?" she repeated, pulling away from his neck to send him a confused expression. Tilting her head to the side, she blinked and asked, "What do you mean?"

Inhaling deeply, he glanced towards the ceiling for a long moment before exhaling. Offering her a weak shrug, he simply stated, "We're moving."

Lowering her brows, she pushed herself straight up on his lap, hands falling to her sides. "What?" she practically gasped. "What do you mean by that?"

"It should be obvious, no?" he retorted, smirking when she didn't make any means to respond. "It isn't _safe_ here anymore—the government knows I live here. Don't you realize the danger we're all in if we stay?"

"_Where_, then?"

Slumping against the chair, he shrugged. "I have a place across the state, but I was thinking more along the lines of across the country. Nevada, most likely."

Eyes widening, Luffy shook her head. "_No_," she objected, loudly so. "I can't move all the way out there!" There was no chance in hell she would move even farther away from her family. At the current location, she could easily take a day's train ride if she ever needed to see Ace or Garp, but across the state—or especially across the country—it would be nearly impossible.

Amused, he lifted his hand to push his hair back. "Tough shit—you don't have any say in the matter."

"I do if it involves me," she snapped back, body shifting as she got ready to hop off him; however, his arm was quick to keep her in place. "Let go," she whined as she slapped his chest. "You're not being fair!"

"_Quiet_," he order, tone sharp. "You're acting up and the others will hear."

At that moment, she could care less. "I don't have to go if I don't want to," she finally threw at him, giving up on the struggle to get off of him. Jabbing one thin finger at his chest, she added in her toughest voice, "I'm not scared of you—you can't bully me into leaving this state."

"Is that so?" he shot back, tone matching hers—more so with a hint of amusement. "And tell me, when exactly did you develop the idea that you could speak to me with such an attitude?" His grip on her grew tighter, nails digging into her flesh.

"I'm tougher than before," she answered firmly, making sure to keep the eye contact strong. "And I'm tired of being pushed around."

Crocodile cocked a brow, expression morphing into that of pure curiosity. His body lifted upwards beneath her, her frame being pushed back on top his desk. When her elbows hit the hard top, she winched and glanced up at his face.

"I'm _pushing_ you around, is that it?" he asked, voice growing hard. "I've done nothing but go _easy_ on you this entire time," he added, fingers flexing inward. "And you have the _nerve _to oppose me in such a manner?"

It didn't take much for her to realize the tension in his stance and anger in his eyes. "No," she objected, voice weaker this time. "I…I didn't mean with you, but…"

"_**But?**_" he quickly spat out, irritation growing on his expression. "What is it, hmm? Please, do share."

Casting her gaze aside, Luffy fumbled around for the words. "I just…"

"Don't give me that," Crocodile ordered, cutting her off. "Don't start an argument with me only to scamper off with your tail between your legs." Pulling away from the desk, he sent her a dismissive wave. "You should know better than that."

Sitting up, she clutched her hand to her chest, slowly edging herself off of the desk. "I don't want to leave my family, _sir_," she spoke, watching as he paused before the door. "I wouldn't be happy if I had to move so far away like that."

Turning around, he eyed her hard for a moment, obviously pondering over her words. "_You're _not safe living here anymore, you do realize this?"

She gave a simple nod.

"And you're willing to stay, for the sake of being close to relatives?" He spoke as if almost confused at such an idea. When she nodded for the second time, Crocodile shook his head, hand reaching out to unlock the door. "I'll think about it, but we'll discuss this _later_."

And with that said, he left.

* * *

Luffy huffed at the weight of the bucket, wincing as it bounced on and off her knees with every step she took. The contents inside consisted of mush—a mixture of raw meat and other slop she couldn't identify. While she was a lover of food, she certainly had no desires to try this dish out.

Luckily, though, such a meal was not meant for her, but for the carnivorous overgrown lizards that lurked the hunting grounds. Tsuru had sent her out midafternoon to help the groundskeeper in the feeding, much to the young maid's dismay.

While it had been months since her last visit alone with the man, Luffy still felt weary around him. He wasn't one for socialization, and when they did speak, he gave off a distant vibe. And, of course, there was always the fact he had a need to speak about the cards, even when not requested to do so.

"I was reading your future in the cards last night," Hawkins stated as they drew near the bridge hanging over the river. Turning her way, he glanced down at the bucket of meat and then back up to meet her narrowed stare. "Would you like to hear it?"

Shaking her head, Luffy placed the bucket down upon the edge of the bridge, exhaling deeply afterwards. "No, I'm okay," she answered, pressing her hands to her hips before flicking a stare up to study his expression. _And why does he feel the need to be creepy like that?_

Kneeling down, Hawkins took to turning the bucket to its side, the sloppy contents within sliding out and down into the river waters. Ripples from creatures beneath came to life soon after. "Are you sure?" he countered softly. "I think you should heed the warning of the cards."

"Warning?" Luffy questioned, pouting slightly afterwards. "Do the cards ever have something _good_ to say?" She watched as Hawkins finished up, pulling the bucket upright before arising.

"Depends," he answered vaguely with a slight shrug. "But yours, no, not right this moment. Would you like to hear?"

Defeated, she drew her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. "Fine," she agreed in a dull tone. "Go ahead, tell me all about what they had to say this time."

"You're in danger," Hawkins revealed quickly as he picked the bucket up and pushed past her. "Something terrible will happen soon."

_Of course_, she thought, a frown taking to her lips. "Such as?" she asked, following after him. While she didn't believe in his prophecies and thought his cards a waste of time, she figured it wouldn't hurt her to hear him out.

Hawkins, glancing back at her, shook his head. "I wouldn't know," he simply answered before looking forward once more. "I'm not shown _that_ much."

Huffing, Luffy took to his side, pressing the flat of her palm to his arm, earning his attention yet again. "Then how am I supposed to _heed the cards _if I have no idea what's going to happen, hmm?"

Narrowing his stare, he shrugged her hand off of him. "Be careful…alert."

"_**For?**_" The word rolled off her tongue slowly.

"For whatever dangers may be in your life," he responded, pausing as they neared a fork in the road. "I require no more of your services…"

Stomping her foot, Luffy placed her hands to her hips and offered him a fat frown. "You can't just throw predictions out there like that and then run away when people start to ask questions!"

Blinking twice, Hawkins shook his head and turned down one of the roads, the one leading to the guest house. Inhaling, Luffy quickly followed suit. "I'm not finished!" she shot out, meeting his hard stare when he caught her by his side once more.

"I have no more to say," he objected.

"Then why even bother bringing it up, then?" she countered. _Why even read peoples' futures when they clearly didn't ask for you to do so?_

Halting, the groundskeeper exhaled deeply, eyes falling down upon hers. "Is there something wrong in your life? Something risky…or, really, anything that may lead you to danger?"

Her gaze left his to fall to the ground, her hands coming together to fold over her stomach. "Um," she began, words falling short. _Yes…In fact, there is a lot of risky things I'm doing…_

Catching onto her sudden silence, Hawkins nodded. "Focus on that then—whatever you're doing that is dangerous. My suggestion? Avoid it. Then perhaps you'll have a better fortune in the future." When he began to walk again, Luffy called out to him softly, prompting him to glance back.

Luffy ran her hand through her hair, scratching the back of her head all the while. "Can I ask you something?"

"You are right now," he answered.

The maid exhaled, loudly. "No…okay, so, do you read other people's futures in the cards?"

"Of course."

_At least I'm not the only one he spies on then_, she thought, slightly relieved. Licking her lower lip, she cocked a brow and asked, "Then do you read the masters?"

Hawkins nodded stiffly.

"What do the cards have to say about him?"

The groundskeeper remained mute for a moment, gaze traveling away from hers and towards the field of flowers beside them. "Betrayal and heartbreak," he simply answered.

Frowning, Luffy crossed her arms tightly around her chest before nodding and turning around. "I'll leave now." _I…I wonder how accurate those cards of his are._

* * *

She returned to him in the dead of the night, after all others were put to sleep and all chores finished. Naturally, she still felt a slight sting of nerves over their earlier altercation, but his last words gave her enough reason to go back.

_I'll think about it…_

Luffy hoped he did. Moving to another state was a huge divot in her plans—not to mention a large separation between her and those she cared for. While she had learn to enjoy living in service for Crocodile, as well as satisfying both his and her needs, she wasn't willing to leave everything else behind.

There was absolutely nothing Crocodile could do or say to convince her otherwise. _If he wants me around, then he's going to have to listen to what __**I**__ want_, Luffy thought as she sat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed. She watched him slowly pace back and forth, cigar hanging between his thin lips. _I can handle moving to another city nearby, but that's the farthest I'll go._

Pulling the cigar from his lips, Crocodile halted all movements and looked her way. "You've placed me in a rather tight spot here," he began, tone dull. When she made no means to respond, he returned his cigar to his mouth and inhaled long and deep. As the smoke ran away from his lips, he added, "Have I've told you recently that you're stubborn?"

"I'm not moving to another state," Luffy simply answered, tone true and strong. _Stay confident…but don't try to anger him again._

Rolling his eyes, Crocodile shot her a forced smile. "_Yes_, I know—you've made that very clear."

"And?" Luffy asked, tilting her head slightly when he approached her, the smell of his cigar growing ever stronger in her nostrils.

"And…" he mouthed as he pressed his finger to her chin, craning her head up only the slightest. "And I've realized today that I've very fond of this mansion, and moving away would be…disheartening."

Widening her stare, Luffy fought back the urge to smile. "So, you're saying…?"

Pulling his finger away from her, Crocodile turned to head for his desk. "I'm saying that I'll stay put _for now_, but do not think for one moment I'm not cautious over my whereabouts being known. For the time being, I'm going to have heightened security upon the grounds—more men following me out to town, the whole works." He pressed his cigar to an ash tray, back still turned to her.

Pleased, Luffy grinned and ran her hands down her lap to rest upon her knees. "I'm glad you came to this decision."

Turning to glance her way, Crocodile arched a brow. "As for you, however," he continued as he made his way across the bedroom, "I have come up with a few new rules."

Luffy offered him a confused stare, pressing her hand under her chin. "_Rules?_"

"Yes," he answered, approaching her once again, this time taking to her side on the bed. "You are not allowed to leave this mansion by yourself anymore—do not think I don't know about your little adventures in the middle of the night to that thieves shack."

Widening her eyes, the maid sat up straight, surprised that he knew. "How…?" Coughing, she shook her head and forced a little smile. "I mean, what adventures? I don't sneak out at…at night…"

He took her chin between his thumb and finger, squeezing hard as he cranked her head back so she'd meet his searching stare. "Are you trying to lie to me?" When Luffy tried her best to shake her head, he smirked and pressed her flat on her back, him hovering over by her side. "I had Daz follow you one night, found out about your trips—why is that? Why have you've been sneaking out as such?"

Her chest pounded hard, fingers curling inward against her sides as she desperately tried to think up a suitable answer.

"You're taking your time answering," he observed, drawing his hand down her neck, settling it atop her necklace. "That only means you're trying to come up with a fake story."

"No," Luffy objected, weakly so. "I'm…I'm just surprised you, uh, caught me." Swallowing, she tried her best to smile, as if it weren't a big deal. "I…well, you know how much I care about my friends, so I, uh, sometimes go out to visit them."

"Is that all?" he questioned then, thumb dipping along the curve of her right clavicle. "You wouldn't be the one betraying me that the detective spoke of, hmm?"

Eyes growing wide, Luffy shot upwards in a panic. "_No!_" she objected, loudly so. "I _wouldn't._…No, it isn't me!"

Laughing, Crocodile fell on his back. "I know it couldn't possibly be you—I was only joking. The look on your face though; do I really intimidate you that much?"

Arching her brows, the maid pouted when he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her on top of him.

"Don't give me that face," he commented quietly, fingers trailing up and down her back. "But I am serious about you leaving like that—no more trips. No more _risks_ like that, not while the authority is breathing down my neck."

_Risks…_

Sighing, his gaze lifted upwards to meet the ceiling. "I managed to convince Iceburg to help me out in regards to the situation, although I'm not sure how much help he'll be. He isn't very useful for a mayor…"

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Luffy pressed her palm across his chest, eyes searching his face. "What will you do about it then?"

Crocodile shrugged, hand falling down her lower back slowly. "I don't want to think of _that_ right now," he admitted, eyes meeting hers quickly, a tug of a smile coming to his lips. "I'd much rather continue what we were doing this morning." As he said as such, his hand drew across her bottom, prompting her to squirm and sit up.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, glancing back towards the door. _Everybody is asleep right now…we'd have to be really quiet…_When she returned her stare to him, she blinked when she found him already arising to meet and dominate her level on the bed.

His hand was on her waist, drawing her in close to his body. "Come on," he said, trying to tempt her. "Where's that bold attitude you had this morning?"

"Oh," Luffy mouthed, casting her gaze away when she felt his body press against hers.

"Stop playing hard to get," Crocodile continued on, pushing her back across the bed. "Stay," he ordered as he got off the bed. When she went to sit up, he raised his hand to stop her. "_Stay_."

Huffing softly, the maid took to pulling a pillow under her head, to give her comfort as she watched him disappear into his closet. Moments later, he returned, a golden object in his hand. Cocking a brow, she shifted and narrowed her stare. "What…?"

_Is that one of his hooks…?_

"I want to try something tonight," he explained as he took to his desk, placing the weapon down. In silence, he opened up one of the drawers to pull out a strange contraption—one that somewhat resembled a holster, but much smaller and stranger looking. He worked the straps with little difficultly around his stump, and after a few moments, picked up the hook to work it on.

"Are you _wearing_ it?" she questioned, amused at first.

Crocodile nodded.

"Like a pirate," she added, smiling when he finished twisting it on.

His gaze traveled across the room to meet hers, a small smirk forming. "I suppose you can say that," he commented before leaving his desk to head back towards the bed. Doing as such only prompted Luffy to cock her head before backing up quickly against the headboard.

Eyeing the hook hard, Luffy weakly asked, "What are you planning to do with that thing?"

He sat on the edge upon his knees, sending her the simplest of smiles. "I just want to try something new, that's all," he answered, eyes lingering down her frame. "Lay down."

Swallowing, the maid nudged farther along the headboard, alarmed at the look he was giving her. "B-but…"

A loud crunch came to life by her ear, eyes quickly flicking over to her right. A few good inches of the hook tip was buried into the wood of the board.

"_Lay down_, please," Crocodile requested once more.

With a small whimper caught in her throat, Luffy slid down from her spot, body falling flat with hands resting on her stomach. "You damaged it," she quietly commented as he wedged the hook out of the board, earning a sly look from him.

"I'll buy a new one," he retorted, hand reaching up to the top button of his shirt to undo it. "Place your hands to your sides." Luffy was hesitant in doing so, causing him to move them for her. "Keep them there," he ordered softly, climbing over her body to keep her pinned down.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see him drawing the hook towards her face. Her skin prickled and body stiffened, fear of the shiny metal causing her to hold her breath.

He pressed the curve of the hook upon her lip, tugging it down ever so slightly. "I wanted to try this with you for a while now," he admitted, earning one glance from her. "Are you scared right now?"

Luffy gave the smallest of nods, exhaling when he drew the hook away from her mouth.

His head tilted, scar smiling. "Good." The hook traveled down her neck, tip grazing her skin softly, stopping just aside the heart pendant. "Undo your uniform," he commanded.

A moment of nothing and Luffy—with hands shaky—began to work the top buttons of her outfit.

"Keep your eyes to mine," Crocodile added quietly, causing her to meet his probing stare.

Lips ajar, hot breath escaped her mouth as she undid her uniform up to her waist. Once he noticed she had done as such, he pulled the two flaps of it apart, allowing her slip to become visible to him.

"You're shaking," he commented as the hook traveled down her clavicles. "Don't move, or you might get hurt."

Inhaling deeply, Luffy drew her fingers up his thighs, clutching onto the fabric of his pants when the tip began to tear into her slip. "You're ripping it," she murmured out blankly.

"I'll buy you a new one," he countered, pulling the hook downwards, the sound of fabric tearing filling the room. He stopped at her waist, where her uniform still hung, curve of gold pressing into her belly button.

Her gut sucked in at how cold the metal was, breasts rising as they peaked out from the newly torn edges of the slip. He easily took to cupping one, running his thumb along the center and pressing down upon her hardening nipple.

"_Don't move_," he repeated, eyes glued to her chest as he brought the hook along the side of her breast, trailing down the middle of her chest slowly.

Luffy could feel her skin prickle to the touch, a tiny itching sensation developing as he scratched her with the tip. She felt words develop in her throat, yet nothing came out but for a small whimper.

Removing his thumb, Crocodile drew her uniform and slip off her shoulders and arms, tugging the fabric down to her waist. Scooting back, he gave a quick order of _lift_ before pulling the rest of her uniform off when she followed.

Laying in just her undergarments and stockings, Luffy watched silently, as he worked the rest of the buttons on his shirt. "Turn around," he asked of her, pulling the shirt off.

Sitting upwards, Luffy brought a hand to the center of her breasts, fingers tracing the small scratch carved into her flesh. A droplet of blood smeared across her thumb, reminding her of the night prior and causing her stomach to twist. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she followed his lead, allowing him to turn her around to where she was kneeling, with her back to his chest.

She went to speak but stopped when the hook curved around her neck, holding her even closer to him. The tip dug into the flesh just below her ear and her she couldn't help but press her hands to the metal, trying her best to ease it off her.

Crocodile was much stronger, however, keeping it tight against her neck, slowly making her breathing harder and harder. "You might hurt yourself if you resist too much," he warned her softly, hand running along the edge of her undergarments. When he met the center of her waist, he pushed long fingers underneath, quickly searching and meeting her between her thighs.

His mouth was on her ear, hot breath shooting tingles down her back. "Do you like this?" he questioned, fingers tracing her entrance. "I think you do," he murmured before inserting the first digit. The hook pulled even further into her neck, prompting her to open her mouth and gasp out. "If you cry out too loudly, they'll hear you," he reminded her, lips trailing down her jawline.

In response, Luffy pressed her hand on top the fabric of her bloomers, cupping his as he attacked her in such a manner. "I…" she whispered, eyes fluttering shut as her brows arched.

"Tell me," he started after inserting a second finger, "_**who**_ do you belong to?"

The maid remained silent, fingers wrapping around the base of the hook. It was becoming too hard to breath and she was sure that the tip was now breaking her skin.

"Answer me," he ordered, crotch leaning against her bottom to push her forward. "Who do you belong to?"

She bit down on her bottom lip, gasping softly when he eased the hook around her neck. Between heavy breathing, she answered him. _"You,_" she said, clamping her eyes shut when she felt her muscles around his fingers begin to tighten. Lips curled upwards against her flesh, hand leaving her center to pull her bottoms off.

As the hook left her neck, Crocodile pulled away. "Hold onto the headboard," he suggested, his hand moving in between their bodies to undo his pants. With her bottoms bunched up around her knees, he moved her legs apart as far as he could, pressing his body once again to hers. His cock met her entrance soon enough, her nails digging into the wood because of such.

The base of the hook settled at her hip, tip curving inward to barley hover over her flesh. His hand took to her hair, fingers weaving through dark locks and curling inward to get a good grip. He took her hard, craning her head to keep her back to his chest.

The maid did her best to keep quiet, the occasional cry escaping her between short whimpers. Crocodile seemed more control of himself, she noticed, breathing hard and only letting the occasional noisy exhale leave him.

Her stomach churned when he leaned forward against her, her legs growing sore from kneeling in such a position. She desperately wanted to rest against the pillows, allow him to have his way with her at least in a comfortable pose, but there was little room to move. Frowning, she pressed her forehead against the headboard and winced when she felt a wave of nausea take over.

She managed the slip one hand off of the boarding, covering her mouth quickly as she tried to control her breathing. _Don't throw up_, she ordered herself, swallowing after she felt the need to gag.

It became too much.

"S-stop," she called out, too weak for him to hear her. Quickly, she pressed her back against his as a way to slow his movement, hand shooting behind her to slap his side. "Stop!" she whined, wiggling her body the moment there was room.

"What…?" His breathing was hard, tone disoriented. "_What?_"

"_Let go!_" she ordered, hand swiftly returning back to her mouth when she felt her stomach twist. "Move, move, move," she muttered out, worming out from under him.

"_**Why?**_" he objected, annoyed, his hand releasing her hair.

Glancing back at him briefly, she quickly blurted, "I'm going to throw up." That alone prompted him to back away, pulling out and allowing her enough room to hop off the bed and bolt for the bathroom.

Luffy barely made it to the sink, dinner pouring out of her mouth in ugly chunks. Everything stung—her eyes, nostrils, and throat. Before up hurling another chunk of food, she pulled her bottoms up, annoyed at how they bunched up at her knees.

She stayed in there a good ten minutes, wrapping a towel around her shoulders to occasionally wipe her mouth. Sweat clung to her skin, hands shaky as she fell to the floor, stomach empty and in pain.

Some moments later and there was a knock on the door, followed by the clearing of a throat. "Are you…_alight_ in there?" He sounded confused, perhaps taken aback, but he made no attempts to enter the bathroom.

"I don't know," Luffy answered, folding her knees in to rest her arms on. It didn't feel like she was going to barf again, the feeling of nausea almost gone, but she just wasn't sure. "I might be sick," she added.

There was no answer on Crocodile's part.

Sniffing, she ran the towel across her forehead to wipe away the sweat. She arose soon after, holding onto the sink edge for balance. When she took to opening the door, she caught him eyeing her from the edge of the bed, pants already back on and hook missing.

Cocking a brow, he eyed her for a moment. "Don't come in here if you think you're going to throw up again."

Pouting, Luffy pulled the towel tighter around her body before leaning against the door frame. "Why, are you afraid that I might damage something in here? Can't you just _buy_ a new one of whatever it is…?"

"No," he objected, falling on his back with his arms outstretched. "I just don't want the room to smell of vomit."

Whining, Luffy made her way over to the bed before flopping over his waist, prompting him to gasp out.

"Don't crawl on me like that if you think you're sick," he stated before trying to roll her off of him.

Burying the side of her face into a pillow, Luffy sniffed. "I don't know if I am."

"You sounded like you did back in there," he retorted, motioning towards the bathroom. "I don't want to catch whatever you have." He made an annoyed expression, pulling his arm away when she reached out for it, as if he truly believe she was infected with something.

Huffing, Luffy quickly moved over towards him, pressing her body completely to his side. "I don't feel sick anymore" she informed him, smirking at how tense his body got. "Besides, if I am, you've touched me enough tonight to have gotten it."

Defeated, he allowed her to hold on to him, arm falling along her body. "Maybe it was the hook," he suggested, a slight frown forming under his scar. "You get nauseous easily, it seems."

"Hmm, maybe you should be gentler with me?" she suggested before pushing upwards to crawl on top of him, thighs straddling his waist. "But I'm all better now; let's finish this." Offering him a smile, she watched his expression dull.

"Are you serious?" he questioned, exhaling hard afterwards. "I _can't_, not right away like this."

Frowning, she tilted her head, hands resting upon his chest. "Why not?"

His eyes rolled. "I'm done, tired…and your breath smells like vomit. This isn't going to happen." When he pushed her off of him to fall beside him, she whined out, throwing him a fat pout. "You can sleep in here if you want, but don't forget to leave before dawn."

Huffing, she rolled over with her back to him, tucking a pillow under her face. _Fine_, she thought bitterly, _I'll just do the same thing the next time you want any._

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time**: While having a conversation with Robin, Luffy pieces together a horrifying truth: Crocodile lied to her, and big time. Furious, Luffy confronts him, but Crocodile is just about done with her ideas that she can talk to him in such an attitude.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Trash Baby Raz**: Haha, thank you, thank you!

**Anna Ashiqa**: No, thank you for reading! I'm so sorry for taking forever to update, but I'm on a roll now, it seems. You're awesome! Take care!

**Starlight555**: Awww, thank you so freaking much! Yup, as it is now, Law is in some hot water with Luffy. Thank you so much for reading!

**Kiki's Cat:** All questions will be answered in due time, haha. Thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Haha, aw, thank you! My confidence is weird, like I'll have a lot one day, and then none the next. It just sucks that I can't stay motivated to write for more than a few months at a time. But thank you so much for being patient and reading this story! :"D

**Snow Phoenix:** MAYBE IT WAS CORAZON, MAYBE NOT? Only time will tell. Thanks for reading!


	31. Liar

**To Serve at his Command|** Liar

Robin sat in front of her in the parlor, wrapped in a fur darker than her hair. The windows were propped open, the sound of raindrops and roaring thunder a musical experience before them. In the gloom and cold, Luffy tended to the woman's hair, trying her best to smooth out the frizzing strands.

Occasionally, her knees would brush up along the back of the blanket, soft strands nice to the touch. "It's very soft," the maid commented as she drew the brush down Robin's locks, hands weaving between the strands. "Where did you buy it?"

"It was a wedding gift," Robin corrected, tilting her head back only the slightest. "From my uncle and his wife…" After a long pause, she returned her attention forward. "I hadn't seen them for so many years before the wedding. I'm surprised they even thought of giving me a gift in the first place."

Unsure if to question any more on the matter, Luffy finished up with the brushing, twirling the hair around and resting it over Robin's shoulders. "All done," she announced, pressing the brush down upon her lap before glancing out through the windows. Lightening flashed off in the distance and mere seconds later, thunder followed suit. "It didn't even look like there would be a storm the other day," she commented, annoyed that she couldn't go out in the gardens because of such weather.

"I'm sure it'll clear up by the end of the week," Robin offered, amusement in her tone. With a soft exhale, she turned in her seat, to face Luffy. When the maid met her stare, a sly look crossed her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "You haven't mentioned your special friend in a while," she began, prompting Luffy to stiffen in her seat. "Have you been holding out on telling me any stories?"

Licking her lower lip, Luffy quickly shook her head _no._ "I haven't seen him since your honeymoon vacation," she answered, hands fumbling together over the brush.

Cocking a brow, Robin sniffed and asked, "Did something happen?" Her gaze narrowed, hands tugging the fur blanket closer to her frame. "You appear saddened by the question…"

Frowning, Luffy flopped back on her own seat, legs stretching out as her arms took to crossing over her chest. "I'm angry at him," she answered, seeing no reason to lie to Robin. If anything, she figured she could offer her advice on the matter. "He lied to me, I think."

"You think?" Robin questioned.

Luffy nodded. "Most likely," she rephrased, lowering her brows. "At least…I'm pretty sure he did, and it was about something very important."

Shifting in her seat, the older woman offered her a concerned stare. "Did he apologize for doing as such? Show any signs of guilt or…?"

"No," Luffy quickly answered, tone annoyed. "He doesn't know I found out—he has no idea I'm angry." Exhaling, she ran the back of her hand under her nose. "I don't want to talk to him about it…or anything," she expressed, throwing the words up quickly. "He betrayed me; I gave him my trust and he threw it away, and now somebody I love may get hurt because of such."

"Oh," the older woman mouthed, eyes growing sad. "I'm sorry this has happened to you. To be betrayed by somebody that important must be…_hard_." Frowning, Robin glanced to her hands before adding, "You don't need a person like that in your life, a _liar_. They aren't good people."

"You think so?" Luffy asked, arching her brows as she sat up. "Am I right to feel this way?"

Nodding, Robin reached out for Luffy's knee, giving it a firm squeeze. "Of course you are, and if you feel the need to never speak to this man again, then don't. He doesn't deserve as such if he's done you wrong."

The maid went to speak, but nothing came out. _I don't want to talk to him…but I also want to know __**why**__ he did what he did. Why did he betray me…after everything…?Did he really just use me?_

Forcing a smile, Robin softly said, "It appears that we are both now free of any lovers." The comment was strained, prompting Luffy to glance her way. "A shame, really," she continued, "I did enjoy listening to your stories of romance and adventure."

Blinking, Luffy offered her a thin smile. "Why don't you go find somebody then…?" _She shouldn't just waste her life alone now…Crocodile did make a deal with her. Robin deserves somebody special._ "I'm sure you could find a person to have adventures with," she added, happily so.

Sitting up, Robin offered her a coy stare. "Luffy," she began, voice low—taken aback, almost. "I'm _married_…I…I can't have an affair…" The woman looked to her as if Luffy had suggested something alarming.

"Ah," Luffy started, remembering that she _wasn't_ supposed to know of the deal between her and Crocodile. "I mean, well, uh…if say you had the opportunity to seek out another—given that it was okay to do so—you should."

Arching a brow, Robin ran her hands through her hair, tucking back loose strands behind her ears. "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. "I _can't_ have an affair…As much as I wish I was married to another, I must remain loyal to my husband. It would reflect poorly upon my family if I stepped out of bounds as such."

Exhaling softly, Luffy slumped her shoulders as she tilted her head. _She doesn't have to try this hard to keep the deal a secret from me…She must know I would never judge her._ "Robin," she started, unsure of how to word herself, "it is okay, I _know_."

Blinking, the woman sent her a coy stare afterwards, lips forming a small frown. "What are you talking about? Know what…?"

Luffy swallowed. "About you…and Crocodile…?"

"What about us?" she questioned further, clearly growing more confused by the second. "Luffy, stop speaking in riddles."

_Why is she acting like this?_

"Your_** deal**_!" she finally blurted out, annoyed at how confusing everything had become. "I know about it—you don't have to keep it hidden from me anymore."

"_Luffy_," Robing started, words falling short as she glanced away for a brief second. "I have _**no**_ idea what you're referring to. What deal? Is…Are you alright?"

_She…she doesn't know?_

Luffy found herself chewing on her inner cheek, mind turning as she tried to piece everything together. "You don't…" she began softly, glancing away slowly towards the windows.

_How could she not know? The deal…it was between her and Crocodile…?_

_Unless…_

With eyes widening, Luffy sat up stiff in her seat, palms reaching out to form fists upon her knees. _There was __**never**__ a deal!_ Her stomach twisted, her heart pounded fast, and her lips curled downwards. _He lied to me…_

"Luffy?" Robin's voice was merely a murmur to the maid, now frantic over the new realization.

Exhaling deeply, Luffy shook her head, eyes falling shut as she tried to recall the conversation just a few weeks prior. _He said that they agreed to see others while in this marriage…he…he…_ "He's a liar." The words escaped her, tone strained as her eyes opened.

"Are you speaking about that man?" Robin questioned, trying her best to earn the maid's attention. "What is _going_ on?"

Sniffing, Luffy quickly stood up, offering the older woman a blank stare. "I…I have to go do something," she stated, fingers curling inward and forming white knuckles. _Everyone around me is a liar,_ her mind screamed as the anger fueled an adrenaline rush. One last awkward stare, and she bided Robin a strained apology, legs leading her out of the parlor.

Nostrils flared as she tried to calm her breathing. _I can't believe he lied to me,_ she thought bitterly as she headed straight for the main hall. _He looked me in the eyes and lied._ A sharp right and she was jogging up the stairs. _And I __**believed**__ him!_

It didn't take Luffy long to find his office, pushing the heavy doors open enough for her to slip inside. As always, he sat at his desk, phone receiver to his ear as he casted her a dull look before returning his attention to whatever papers were before him.

Holding her breath, she took to his side, eyes searching him as he failed to look back to her. His lips were moving, words falling from his mouth as he spoke to whoever was on the other line, but Luffy couldn't process any of it.

The first time she struck his arm, he sent her a surprised look. The second time she struck him, he shot his arm up to block the blow. And by the third time, she began a full on assault, words pouring from her lips to express her anger.

"You're such a liar!" she exclaimed, trying her best to hit him past his arm. "I can't believe you!"

Crocodile's eyes widened, body stiffening as he tried to hold her off. "What the _hell_ are you doing?" he snapped. A moment and exhale later, he calmly spoke into the receiver. "No, _not_ you…no…listen, I'll call you later."

The moment he pressed the phone to its holder, his fingers were wrapped around one of her wrists, slowing down her attack. "_Stop it_," he ordered, voice hard as his eyes examined her expression. "What is _**wrong**_ with you?"

Frowning, Luffy attempted to pull her hand free from his, failing to do so and only hurting herself in the process. "Let go!" she cried, nails digging into his knuckles and earning a low growl from the man. "You're a liar!" she added, whining when he stood up and forced her arm behind her back. "_A __**liar**__!_"

"What has gotten into you?" Crocodile questioned, breathing heavy as he tried to subdue her. "What makes you think you can just—" His words were cut off when Luffy brought her free elbow in to meet his gut, air leaving him fast.

Pulling free, Luffy took her chance to distance them by a few feet, whipping around to face him. "I know," she informed him, eyes hard as she met his glare. "You lied to me about everything; about Robin and your _deal_!"

His brow arched just slightly, as if he were surprised by her claim. "Is this what everything is about?" he questioned slowly, posture relaxing.

"Of course it is!" Luffy answered, stomping her foot once. There was a drive in her to jolt across the room and attack him again, but with him so overpowering, she remained in place. At that moment, he represented _**all**_ the liars in her life—the only outlet for her to express her frustrations. "You knew what it meant to me, to do this to Robin!"

"You're overreacting," he objected, throwing her an annoyed stare. "You're making this huge fuss over a little white lie."

Luffy shook her head, lifting a hand to press against her tummy when she felt a tinge of nausea overtake her. "It wasn't little," she whined, sniffing afterwards, fighting back the urge to cry. "You betrayed me…"

Crocodile rolled his eyes before squeezing the bridge of his nose. "Are you seriously going to cry right now? After attacking _me _like that?"

Exhaling hard, Luffy turned for the door. "You don't even care," she called out, hand reaching out for the doorknob; however, she failed to open it due to him pressing it closed with his own hand. "Move," she ordered, upset to feel his frame behind her.

"Not until you stop throwing this fit," he objected.

When she went to throw her elbow back once more, he countered her attack by wrapping his arm around her waist and forcing her against his chest.

"Let go," she whined, squirming in his arm to no avail. She felt his head shake behind hers.

"_No_," he stated, pressing her closer to him. His hand took to one of her wrists, pinning it to her own chest. "You have a big problem with starting fights and them scampering off." When he pulled her away from the door and off the floor, Luffy began to kick her legs, hand gripping his arm to release her. Again, she failed to achieve freedom.

Biting down on her lip, Luffy fought back the urge to slam the back of her head into his nose. _That would teach him a lesson,_ she thought. Huffing, she lightened up on the squirming and weakly asked, "How am I supposed to trust you?"

His breathing had calmed down some, fingers relaxing around her wrist. "You shouldn't trust anyone," he suggested. "Not even me." When Luffy made no means to respond, he asked, "What was I supposed to do? You didn't give me any reasonable options to work with—I had to make up a lie to keep you happy…"

Feet dangling, Luffy ran her free hand under her nose, growing tired from the struggle. "I told you what would have made me happy."

Nothing was said for a long moment.

Luffy was returned to the ground, but his arms were still around her, _tight_. "I'm not going to start this argument again," he informed her, tone stern. "I've ordered you in the past not to worry about that woman."

She pressed her hand to his, fingers wrapping over his that were over her wrist. "I can't," she objected. "And you know why…"

"Stop overreacting," he ordered then, turning her around to face her. His hand left hers, rising up to wipe the edge of his palm along her cheek. "Don't cry either," he added, tone blank.

Her stare hardened, arms crossing her chest.

"But don't look at me like you want to kill me either," he added, expression growing amused. His fingers lingered in her hair, as if he were trying to coax her into a calm state. "You're becoming more and more demanding of me," he observed, eyes searching hers. When she casted her gaze aside, he took to cupping her chin and forcing her to look up his way. "You seem to forget your place."

Pouting, Luffy stiffened in her stance. "Then I'll leave and—"

"_And return home and __**never**__ come back_," he finished for her, tone growing more and more annoyed. "That threat doesn't work on me," he added slowly, pinching her chin, eyes narrowing. "How about I demonstrate a real threat for you, hmm?"

Luffy lowered her brows in response.

Titling his head slightly, he began in a calm voice. "If you _ever_ leave this mansion without my permission, I _will _eliminate the problems regarding Robin _altogether_. The moment you bring up this issue, I _will_ have her taken out—no more—_**gone**_. I _will_ not tolerate you throwing these fits anymore—it has gone on long enough." Pausing, he offered her a light smile. "And I do not make empty threats."

"You're cruel," Luffy shot back, weakly so.

He shrugged. "It's in my nature." After a moment, Crocodile took to his desk, reaching out for a discarded cigar in his ash tray. "You're clearly too upset to do any of your chose—spend the rest of the day in bed…Cure yourself of this obsession of thinking of others."

When she made no means to respond, he sent her a stern look. "You will do as I say from now on, with little to no argument on your part. I truly meant what I said the other day, about not going easy on you anymore."

And with that said, Luffy was dismissed from all her duties for that day.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Luffy grows sick and she assumes it's from the stress in her life. Worried, Robin convinces Crocodile to request a doctor visit for the maid.

* * *

**Apologies**** for the chapter being short; the next few will be about this length, but it'll return back to the larger updates soon enough.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle2k13:** MmmmMMMMmmmmmaybeeeeee, haha. We'll see what happens soon enough. Thank you for reading my trash baby!

**Starlight555:** She's something alright, but next chapter will reveal all. Yup, Hawkin's prediction is going to be very important for the tail end of the first half of this story, and Law *will* have some explaining to do. Sibling bonding moments will happen towards the end of the first half. Thank you for reading!

**Poyochin:** I'm glad you think it's a ride; that's my goal here, haha. Thank you so much for reading!

**Hina:** haha, I can't help but picture Hina reading this and shaking her head in shame. Thanks for reading!

**Are you guys enjoying the story so far? I'm not trying to dig for reviews here, I just want to know if you all are liking the plot since I started writing again—this story is just as much for you as it is for me. : )**


	32. Sick

***Chapter takes place about a week after the previous one.**

**To Serve at his Command**| Sick

The soap suds popped as she dropped the towel inside the bucket of dirty water. The floor beneath her seemed to go on forever—a horrid never ending chore. Crocodile had ordered her and Zoro to wash it spotless that afternoon, something she knew was his form of punishment.

The entire week had been of such chores, rigorous and tiring, and by night, he would take her in various ways—sometimes involving the hook. It didn't take a genius to figure out he had been doing as such because of their little spat over Robin, and the young maid found herself starting to regret ever opening her mouth to begin with.

Of all the floors in the mansion, he had given her the wine cellar to tend to—a dark place with little light source, dank, and thick with stuffy air.

_I hate this,_ she thought as she plopped the wet towel upon the floor, fingers digging into its center to drive it forward. _I hate him—he's too mean._ Frowning, she drew the towel back towards her knees, trying to erase a particular tough stain. _I hate Law—he's even a bigger liar than Crocodile._ After a few moments, and tight circular motions, Luffy managed to clean up the spot. _But I hate washing the floors like this the most!_

Sitting upwards, she took a moment to breathe, eyes flicking across the room to take in the helpless butler. The frustration on his face was clear indication of his distaste over the chore. While she knew little about the young man, she could piece together he wasn't one for cleaning.

"Are you doing alright?" she questioned, voice tired and forehead sweaty.

Lifting his gaze, he shook his head. "No matter how hard I brush, the floors never get clean," he stated, tossing his brush aside so he could rest for a moment. "Why is he having us clean this room? There isn't any point to it…"

Frowning, Luffy wished she could give him an answer. In truth, she knew why, but to share such details in her life with the butler would, she figured, not be in best taste. "He just wants it clean," she murmured, sighing afterwards as she took her towel in hand. "Let's just get this finished," she added with a sniffle.

Agreeing, Zoro took his brush and began his circular patterns once more, but this time in a much chattier manner. "Do you think he'd notice if a wine bottle or two disappeared?"

Blinking, Luffy glanced over to a nearby rack of bottles. Humming, she shrugged. "Maybe the newer ones?" she suggested, unsure. "He seems fonder of the older years…"

"I might take one," he revealed, eyes staring at one bottle in particular. "It would make cleaning this floor a hell of a lot better."

Laughing, Luffy shook her head. "You'll get drunk," she objected, "and he'll know then." Pausing, she shook her head when she felt lightheaded for a moment. "You wouldn't want that," she added, voice softer as she inhaled deeply.

"Why?" Zoro questioned, running the back of his hand across his forehead. "I'm _not_ afraid of him—he acts like he's untouchable, but I'm more than sure I can take him."

"Maybe," Luffy responded, "you are younger than him, probably stronger." Shrugging, she quickly glanced down the room, taking in how much floor was left to clean. _There is so much left…and I'm not feeling too good down here._ Pouting, she dropped her towel in the bucket to rinse it. "He does have more…resources, though."

Zoro cocked a brow, eyes falling down to her bucket. "What do you mean by that?"

Exhaling, she fluttered her eyes shut and began to tug at the collar of her uniform. "Like Daz," she explained, tone growing weaker. "He has men…guards, I guess…"

The butler remained silent for a moment before nodding. "I can take on all of them," he said, a smirk forming. "I'm tougher."

Huffing, Luffy tried her best to offer a smile, failing to do so when she felt her stomach twist. "It's getting hotter in here," she muttered out, shifting on her knees. "I'm…"

Lowering his brows, Zoro tilted his head, eyes scanning her over quickly. "You look…_sick_," he observed, a small frown forming. "Are you alright?"

Shaking her head, the maid took to standing off, winching when she wobbled a bit. Clinging onto a nearby wine rack for support, she sent the butler a weak stare. "My head hurts…"

Standing up and tossing the brush aside, Zoro took to approaching her. "Hey, maybe you should go upstairs and rest for a moment?" When her legs began to give out under her, his hands were on her shoulders, offering her better support. "Okay," he began, clearly unsure of what to do. "We're…we're going upstairs."

Luffy tried her best to calm her breathing as he led her across the room. Every inhale hurt her stomach, prompting a wave of nausea to take over. "The stairs are the other way," she informed Zoro after a moment, fingers digging into his arm and earning a low groan from him.

"Oh," he responded, turning them around. "Uh…okay, don't throw up," he added, gaze falling down upon her facial expression. "I'll get you up there, just… don't vomit on me."

It took a few minutes, but the butler did well on his word and got Luffy up to the first level of the mansion, air cooler and thinner. They took to the kitchen—the room nearest to the wine cellar entrance, and upon entering, they found the cook, as well as Robin.

"You'll have to teach me how to make that one day," Robin had said before turning her attention to the two, voice growing quiet. Upon making eye contact with the ever growing sick Luffy, she stood up quickly. "What is going on?" she questioned, expression growing worried. "What is wrong with her?"

"She's sick, I think," Zoro offered, leading Luffy to the nearest chair. "We were down in the cellar…maybe the heat got to her?"

Sanji's voice was loud and piercing in Luffy's skull. "You allowed a lady to grow ill like this?" he had snapped out, approaching Zoro with fists formed. "I should knock some sense into you!"

"I didn't cause this," the butler shot back, tone harsh and ready for a fight. "How about you back off before you get hurt?"

Exhaling loudly, Sanji jabbed one slender finger Zoro's way, pushing past Luffy to face him head on. "You think you can threaten me? I'm not scared of an idiot like you!"

Before the butler had a chance to retort, Robin had silenced all with clap of her hands. "_Stop it_," she ordered, tone stern. "If you two are going to bicker like this, do it _outside_!" Moving past the two, she took to Luffy's side, pressing one hand gently on the maid's forearm. "What's wrong?"

Swallowing, Luffy cupped her cheeks, forcing back a fat frown. "I feel sick," she admitted. In all honestly, since migrating up into the kitchen, she felt a tad bit better, yet there was still a case of nausea attacking her. "I just felt…_lightheaded_ down in the cellar."

Arching a brow, Robin placed the back of her hand to Luffy's forehead, humming softly all the while. "You're warm, but not feverish," she commented, pulling her hand away. "Do you think you're sick? Or was it just the heat?"

"I think I'm sick," Luffy admitted, hands falling to her lap. "My stomach has been hurting lately…I think I ate something bad…"

Zoro's voice filled the room. "See! It was this shitty Cook's food that did her in!"

"My cooking had nothing to do with this!" Sanji objected. "How _dare_ you accuse me of giving Luffy food poisoning?"

"Stop it!" Robin ordered as she cocked her head back to glance their way, silencing them up once more. Returning her start back to Luffy, she gave a small shrug and simply suggested, "You might have caught something."

Shaking her head, Luffy went to get up, stopping when Robin stood in her path. "I'm alright," she tried to object. "I…I just have to make sure I'm careful while doing my chores."

"No," Robin shot back, hands on the maid's shoulders to keep her still in the chair. "I won't send you back down there if you're sick—you'd just get worse. Go lie down in your room; I'll have one of Crocodile's men fetch you a doctor."

"It's fine," Luffy objected, shaking her hands. "You…you don't need to do that." Doing anything that involved both Crocodile and Robin left her in a sour mood. While she was still angry at him for lying about Robin, his threat to do her harm had worked—Luffy made no efforts to voice her opinions and her anger about the subject since their last spat. But that still didn't stop her from feeling horrible whenever interacting with Robin, especially now with her wanting to aid her as such.

"Luffy," Robin said after a heavy exhale. "You're not winning this—go downstairs to your bed and rest. That's an order."

* * *

Flat on her back, Luffy glared up at the white ceiling of her tiny room. The air within was stuffy—not as much as in the cellar, but more so than the kitchen. At the foot of her cot sat Nami, expression worried as she played with the hem of Luffy's uniform.

"You don't look all that bad," the young maid commented after fighting back a pout. "Yeah, you look tired in the eyes and maybe a little pale, but not enough to be overly worried about."

"I'm not worried," Luffy commented, stretching her arms out above her head. "I just don't like feeling so sick—I have no appetite."

Frowning, Nami nudged one of Luffy's ankles. "Not everything has to be about food, you know." Falling back to lean on her side, she continued on. "You should be more careful—I'm always hearing about people catching the flu and then dying…"

"I'm not going to die," Luffy shot back, alarmed Nami would even suggest that. _That…that couldn't happen to me…right?_ Swallowing, she brought her right hand to her face, covering her eyes. "You're trying to scare me right now, aren't you?"

"No," Nami objected. "I'm just trying to warn you to be more careful."

Sighing, Luffy nodded. "Fine."

A moment passed by between the two, silence an awkward companion. Finally, after resting the side of her head in her palm, Nami quietly asked, "What do you do at night?"

The question caught Luffy by surprised, prompting her to peer out between her fingers. "What?"

"At night…I know Tsuru likes to have you work late, but sometimes you come down here _too _late." A frown took to her lips. "Sometimes I wake up when you do, and I really have no clue what chores you do to keep up so late." Their eyes met soon after she finished.

Holding her breath, Luffy's mind worked frantically to think up a proper lie. There was no chance in hell she'd reveal her secret relationship with Crocodile to Nami. "I'm just slow at my chores sometimes," she said, weakly so.

Lowering her brows, Nami offered Luffy a small pout. "Maybe that's why you're getting sick then, staying up so late and working yourself like that."

"Maybe…"

Sitting up, Nami threw her attention across the room. "Somebody is coming this way," she murmured out, arising from the bed to approach the door.

"How do you know?" Luffy questioned, turning to lie on her side as her eyes followed the girl across the room.

"I can hear footsteps," she answered, pulling the door open barely before stiffening. "Oh," she began, tone weak, "I...uh…"

"Move_**.**_"

His voice alone prompted Luffy to sit fully up, eyes glued on the frightened orange-haired girl.

Pulling back from the door, Nami quickly back paced to the center of the room, eyes still forward on the male entering the room. "Ah, uh…" she began, words pooling past her lips in a stuttered mess.

"_**Move**_," he repeated, stare flicking about the small room until landing upon Luffy. He offered her a hard look, observing her for a long moment before glancing back towards the door. "She looks perfectly fine to me," he spoke, prompting another to enter.

Robin shared one quick look with Nami before looking to Luffy and finally to Crocodile. "She almost fainted down in the cellar," she objected, voice firmer than that of Nami's, clearly not afraid of her husband. "Something is wrong with her."

He responded with a slow roll of his eyes. "Look at her, playing around with the other maid…" Trailing off, he turned to Nami. "Which reminds me: What are you doing down here? Don't you have work to do?"

His saddened attention on the maid left her pale of face and eyes wide of fear. "I…I…I…"

"You _what_?" he started, brows lowering. "You think you get paid to _longue_ about?"

Taking another step into the room, Robin pulled Nami back away from the man. "This doesn't concern her," she said, eyeing him hard. "And do not speak to her like that."

His anger turned on his wife then, facing her dead on. "As long as she lives on _my_ property, she will do as I tell her—and you, as my _wife_, should not speak to me as you just did." He spoke to her in belittling tone, eyes hard on her and lips firm. "Learn your place."

Stare widening, Robin quickly looked past him at Luffy before glancing away to her feet. Her mouth opened slightly, but fell just as fast the moment she returned her gaze to the man. Complete silence followed suit for a long moment before she took Nami by the arm. "I'll take her with me for now…to do her chores…" After a strained nod on her part, she left the room with Nami linked to her arm.

Swallowing, Luffy's eyes dug into the back of Crocodile's neck, surprised at how easily Robin submitted to him. Of all people living in the mansion, Robin had seemed the least likely to give in to his stern tone, yet there she was, slipping away. _Not even Robin can stand up to him…_Shaking her head, her gaze fell to the floor when Crocodile began to turn around to face her.

"You look perfectly fine," he began after a moment of observing her. When the maid lifted her gaze to meet his stare, he cocked a brow. "Yet she claims you almost fainted?"

Luffy weakly nodded, not entirely supportive of the claim, but not objective to it either. "I might have caught something…the flu or food poisoning…" Frowning slightly, she looked to the door. "Robin…"

"Don't start with that woman," he quickly said, cutting her off with a wave of his hand. "I've had enough of her today." Pausing, he exhaled before glancing about the room. "It's stuffy in here, so let's make this quick: Do you need a doctor or not?"

She shrugged, unsure of what to say. While part of her figured a visit would do her best, the other part of her feared Crocodile's response. "I think something might be wrong," she muttered, hands folding together over her lap. When he offered her a cock of his brow, she continued on. "I throw up sometimes," she added, gaze falling to her lip. "I get lightheaded…"

"Fine," he finally agreed, silencing her with another dismissing wave. "I'll have Daz fetch one, if it'll shut you all up." Inhaling, he did another take of the room, a slight look of disgust taking to his face. "Until then, stay in here…I don't want to catch _whatever_ you have."

Pouting, Luffy went to snap back but he had already made his leave, prompting her to fall over on her side and sigh out. _Not only is he a liar, but he's a jerk as well,_ she thought bitterly, throwing one arm over her face. _I really hope this isn't something serious…I hate getting sick._ _I don't mind lying around like this, though._ A smirk came to life on her face then. _Too bad I don't have a good appetite…_The smirk died soon enough.

* * *

The doctor was short and hairy, the best description Luffy could offer somebody if asked. He wasn't entirely what she first expected, what with his tiny nose and wide eyes, and his name alone left her taken aback. Doctor Chopper, as he called himself, the strangest man of medicine she had ever encountered.

After a series of poking and prodding and tests Luffy had no idea existed, he finally began with the questions.

"I'm told you keep vomiting?" he questioned her as he dug through his bag of tools and vials. "For multiple days, yes?"

"Uh, yes," she answered softly, eyes glued on his bag, afraid of what he would pull out. "Not every day, though," she added quickly. "Just some days I feel sick all of a sudden and throw up…"

Chopper nodded once, eyes fluttering shut as he paused. "And are you feeling anything else, such as pain or…?"

Humming, Luffy pressed her hand to her chin to think. "I get lightheaded, like I did today, and, uh, sometimes I feel more tired than usual. No pain, though—except when I'm throwing up; that never feels good."

The doctor offered her a light smirk. Waving his hand, he happily said, "That's no fun for anybody, though!"

Luffy smiled and nodded in agreement.

"_Don't smile at me like that!_" he quickly blurted out, tone harsh but eyes still gleaming to match his wide bashful smile. "Don't think you can win me over so easily with a smile!"

"…oh, uh…" Frowning, Luffy tilted her head in confusion, unsure of how to respond.

Offering her a welcoming stare, Chopper clapped his hands together. "When was the last time you menstruated?"

Blinking, Luffy cocked one brow. "Menstruated…?"

"Oh," he began, blushing, "That means your monthly bleeding, you know, yes?"

Widening her stare, she quickly nodded. Inhaling, she thought long and hard, biting down on her bottom lip after a heavy exhale. "About a month ago…I'm not sure, it might have been longer than that."

Pressing his hand to his chin, Chopper nodded. "Have you been sexually active?"

Stiffening, Luffy glanced away from the doctor quickly, taken aback by his question and somewhat too afraid to answer.

"Have you?" he questioned, earning a weak glance from her. "You can tell me—it's important that I know."

Luffy nodded in silence.

Loudly he spoke at once, causing her to jump. "You're silly then for thinking you were sick!" he exclaimed, offering her the widest of smiles. "This is no more than a case of _pregnancy_."

Her lips fell ajar, cheeks growing pale. "What?" she found herself asking, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"Pregnant!" Chopper repeated, slapping his bag shut. "So silly to have me come all the way down here for that." Narrowing his stare and sporting a fat frown, he cheerfully added, "Congratulations, yes?"

She shook her head in defiance. "No, that's not it," she informed him. "I'm sick, not pregnant…you're making a mistake."

"I'm not," he sung. "If you don't menstruate this month or the next, then yes, you are, for sure at least. You have all the signs of early pregnancy."

"You're wrong," she corrected him, standing up quickly, dominating in the height difference. She felt almost as tall as Crocodile compared to the small doctor, not the mention the anger and frustration she was feeling at that moment. "I'm _sick_."

"Sick with a case of pregnancy," Chopper shot back happily as he took to motioning her to sit back down. Once Luffy did as such, he continued on. "You'll experience nausea at random times throughout the day," he informed her. "You'll more than likely experience an assortment of emotions rather quickly at the same time—maybe a little faint or sore in the breasts. And this will continue on and grow throughout the pregnancy." Pausing, he glanced about before offering her another smile. "I recommend you stop by my office to discuss nutritional plans and what not—new studies are showing that what you put in your body during such a time can affect the fetus."

Her lips opened but nothing came out. _No…no, this isn't happening._

"We'll also help you with any concerns you have and such," he added. "I suggest you…" His gaze fell over her before glancing about the room slowly. "Maybe you should talk to a family member about this, figure out the best…_route_ to take." Falling silent, he offered her a weak nod. "I have many patients to tend to—I'll expect you to stop by my building in the near future."

And with that, he left the maid alone in the room, but she never noticed. Her mind raced with thoughts and worries and fears and everything in between.

Pressing a hand to her stomach, she flopped over on her back, eyes wide and glued on the ugly white ceiling.

_Fuck._

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** As the signs of pregnancy continue to increase, Luffy is left with a fear and a bad case of uncertainty. She lets it slip to a fellow servant and word spreads quickly throughout the mansion.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, yes! So finally we arrive to one of the most obvious plot points in this story. BUT this isn't going to be one of those typical "they're expecting &amp; now they're all lovey dovey" type of pregnancies. If anything, this is only going to lead to more stress and drama. :D**

**Also, Luffy is about 5 weeks pregnant at this point, just a FYI.**

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle: **Yes, your suspicion was true, haha. This was one of the most obvious plot developments ever in this story, haha. xD Thanks for reading my precious trash baby!

**Cnerriza:** IT IS! :D haha, thanks for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Ahh! Thank you for reading! If not for you and everybody else, I wouldn't have motivation to write! I plan on the story to get even more intense—like, it'll get really bad until the end of the first half. A lot is going to happen now with this pregnancy develop, you'll just have to wait and see :O As for her friendship with Zoro (and others, such as Nami, Sanji, etc.) that will happen/develop more so in the second part/sequel. Thanks for reading!

**Hina:** Doctor says Luffy's got a bun in the over. Thank you so very much for reading!

**Staticy Fox Atra:** Yes, she is indeed pregnant. Futures events will happened surrounding this pregnancy and totally affect her stance with Crocodile. Thanks for reading!

**Agenta:** Ah! Ohmygosh, thank you so much for the kind compliments! I'm so happy you consider my story readable! I'm so flattered, gosh, thank you! :'D And I'm super glad you enjoy how I write Crocodile—I want to write him out as this super big asshole towards Luffy, acting like she's his property. It's a super unhealthy relationship, but that's my goal for this first part of the story. Sometimes I get nervous thinking about my story and if it's good, but yes, I really should be more proud of my writing, thank you. And thank you for giving this story a chance and reading it!

**TissueCube:** Haha, it's because she is! xD I threw in so much freaking foreshadowing, it's embarrassing haha. We'll find out soon enough if Law betrayed her or not—first she needs to confront him because as of now, he has no idea that Luffy is angry at him. And Crocodile's heartbreak &amp; betrayal will be revealed towards the very end of this first part of the story! Thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight555:** Chopper—he just had to be the doctor. When Luffy meets up with Law, he better watch out for her anger. When she meets up with Ace…well, let's just say she doesn't want to see him in her current condition, haha. Thank you so much for reading! It really means so much to me!

**Fro for President**: Hey you! I remember you! :D Ohmygosh, you don't have to review all the chapters if you don't want to! But I'm flatter you would even offer to do so! Honestly, just know you enjoyed reading my story is reward enough. "ima" is TOTALLY A WORD! :D And yeah, pretty intense moment for her when Crocodile had her shoot that guy; he's trying to coax her into the mod life a bit. AND OMG you're making me freaking blush over her with such kind compliments! I'll explain my original plot at the end of the first half of the story; I don't want to ruin any future plot points. Thank you sooooo much for reading!


	33. Fear

***Updating a day early because I won't have access to my computer tomorrow (Friday)**

**A/N: **Just a quick note before we start this chapter: It was brought to my attention by a reader that perhaps changing the rating of this story to an "M" would be best, to keep my story from being flagged and taken down. I've have done as such, if you have or have not noticed, but I will still mark within the chapter whenever there is a smut scene, for the readers who prefer not to read such content. : )

***Two weeks have passed since the previous chapter**

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** Fear

Luffy had grown tired of her chores mid-afternoon, retiring to the shady patches of grass nearing the border of the hunting grounds. While taking such breaks was frowned upon by those such as Tsuru, the maid practically didn't care anymore—she had a _condition_ to worry about, and with each passing day, the effects became more and more apparent.

Besides the soreness in her bust, Luffy had found that her uniform had grown slightly tighter—not by much, but enough to notice. She still had room to move about in the outfit, and she figured she'd still have as such for weeks to come; however, working in an ever-shrinking uniform had its problems, such as becoming warmer easily on such hot days.

The maid took many breaks out in the hunting grounds, the only reasonably cool area to relax at. And yes, while the weather slowly began to transition into autumn, she still found the afternoon high to be rather strenuous. Most times, due to her hungry stomach, she'd take a basket of food along with her, from sandwiches to little deserts the cook had made the night prior. There was hardly a time Luffy was alone, though, either being tagged along by Usopp, Coby, and at most times, Nami.

It was as such that particular day, the orange-haired maid happily nibbling at her lunch while gazing up at the lazy skies. "I don't know how you get away with this," she had said with a thin smile, throwing Luffy a tired stare.

"With what?" Luffy questioned, tilting her head ever so slightly.

Swallowing after another bite, Nami placed her food down upon a napkin. "Sneaking out to take multiple breaks," she answered softly. "That old woman and Crocodile never seem to yell at you…but whenever I take a _second_ for a breather, I'm being screamed at left and right. How do you do it?" She looked to Luffy with the purest of curiosity as she pressed her palms behind her to lean back.

Luffy shrugged in response. She dreaded such questions, always left to make up some lie. While she knew the reason as to why Crocodile was harsher on the others than he was her, there was no desire in her to share as such with Nami. "I suppose they just never catch me," she offered after a long moment, earning a dull stare from the fellow maid.

"You're lucky, then," she shot back, shaking her head all the while. "I hate it here…not because of you or the other servants, but _him_. He's such a monster—and I can't believe how he talked to Robin like that a couple of weeks ago…" Trailing off, her gaze fell to her food. "I miss working at Olvia's estate. She was stern by her own right, but never as bad as Crocodile."

Nodding, Luffy finished her second sandwich before wiping the back of her palm across her mouth. "Why didn't you stay, then?"

Smirking, Nami send her an amused look. "And leave Robin all alone out here? No way. Besides, Lady Olivia wants me to look out for her daughter, make sure nothing fishy is going on." Pausing, she glanced about quickly before leaning in towards Luffy. "I don't know if you've realized this, but Lady Olivia and Crocodile have an alliance going on—something to do with, uh…" With words falling short, Nami leaned in even closer to Luffy's ear. "…to do with mobs and drugs and all sorts of _illegal_ activities."

Blinking, Luffy gave her a stiff nod. "I know all about that already," she revealed, prompting Nami to go blank in the face.

"_Really?_" she questioned quickly, hands falling to her lap. "You know?" As Luffy nodded once more, Nami sported a fat frown. "_Ah_! And here I thought I was living some secret life from the rest of you servants—is everybody here in on it?"

"I'm pretty sure," Luffy answered, pressing her fingers to her chin to think. "Coby might not entirely realize what's going on, but I'm sure everybody who works here knows about all that stuff." Shrugging, she gave the fellow maid a soft smile. "I've seen some of the stuff they…_he_ does."

Arching a brow, Nami sat upwards, legs folding in as she rested her arms across her knees. "He does?" she questioned slowly, attention fully caught. "What have you seen?"

While Luffy did so enjoy the attention given to her by Nami, she couldn't help but frown as she thought of all the stuff she observed while in service for Crocodile. From shady business meetings, to illegal warehouse, and even to what was most likely the murder of a detective, Luffy, all in all, did not _enjoy_ remembering such events. Pursing her lips, she inhaled slowly before answering. "I've seen things I wished I hadn't."

Blinking, Nami tilted her head slightly. For a moment, it appeared as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained utterly silent.

After a moment, Luffy forced a thin smile and shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about this anymore," she concluded, quickly reaching out for her fourth sandwich. "Come up with a new subject."

With a click of her tongue, Nami agreed with a quick nod. Her eyes darted to Luffy's food, brows lowering. "How about you tell me about you doctor visit, hmm?" she questioned, lifting her gaze up to meet Luffy's. "Whenever I ask you about it, you seem to avoid answering it…sometimes even changing the topic entirely. Did he tell you something serious?"

Swallowing, Luffy quickly shook her head _no_, annoyed that Nami was bringing up the subject yet again. Ever since that day she seemed relentless to know what was _wrong_, and Luffy understood it was all from a good place, it made her uncomfortable to dance around the subject. She, herself, was still in slight denial over the pregnancy, let alone _terrified_ and utterly lost on how to deal with it. Could she really trust Nami enough to confide in her?

_Or will it just all backfire on me if I do?_

"I told you," Luffy began, tone weak, "I'm fine—nothing is wrong."

Nami rolled her eyes to that. "Obviously something was, or else you wouldn't have fainted in the cellar two weeks ago, yet alone vomit your food up every other day."

"I didn't faint," Luffy countered. "And I've stopped throwing up as much—trust me, I'm alright."

Pressing her hands to her sides, Nami threw her one big fat pout. "You're not winning this argument; either tell me what's wrong or I'll have to get rough."

"_Rough?_"

The maid nodded quickly, offering Luffy her sternest expression. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, how quickly I can turn into the bad guy."

Luffy found herself smiling. "You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag, though," she objected, fighting back a laugh. "Between the both of us, I'm pretty sure I'd win in a fight."

Nami lifted on slender finger and waved it back and forth. "Nobody said anything about physical contact." After a brief second, she reached for Luffy's basket, pulling it tightly against her stomach. "This is mine now."

Arching her brow, Luffy glanced down at the basket before looking back up to meet Nami's stare. "You're going to steal my food…?"

"Yes," she answered, firmly so. "And I'll continue to take your food for the weeks to come. Don't doubt my patience, Luffy, I always get what I want."

Exhaling, it was Luffy's turn to roll her eyes. "You're being silly."

"Oh no, I'm not," Nami argued with a slight smirk. "Head these words, for they are going to haunt you for a long time: _**portion control**_."

Widening her stare, Luffy sent Nami a concerned expression. "Okay, you're taking this a little too far," she started, words falling short as she caught a dark look cross the girl's eyes.

"You don't think I can do it," Nami stated then, tone eerie. "From now on, you can say goodbye to second helpings—no more sneaking little nibbles while Sanji's cooking. I'll get him on board with this. I'll tell him that eating all this extra food is comprising to your health; he'll be sure to aid me once he learns of that."

Luffy looked to the girl with horror. "N-Nami, you…you _wouldn't_?"

"And forget about sneaking out in the middle of the night for a bite—I'll have Usopp install locks."

Shaking her head, Luffy quickly blurted out, _"Don't!"_ It was one thing to threaten her bodily harm, but it was another to threaten her precious food. "I'll do anything—just…just leave the food alone, it never did anything to hurt anybody!"

"Then spill it," Nami ordered, body beginning to relax when it was obvious she had won Luffy over.

Chewing on her inner cheek, Luffy cupped both of her cheeks, gaze flickering off to the side. _Ah! I can't believe she's cornered me like this! Where did this side of Nami come from…? So cruel…so __**evil**__!_ Looking back to Nami, she exhaled heavily. "I'm not sick."

"You're going to have to do better than that," Nami retorted, brows lowering. "I need details—a reason as to why the doctor came. And he told Robin that very day that you weren't sick, but failed to mention anything else. What was it, hmm?"

_So evil…_

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to repeat it to another soul, alright?" Luffy figured then that perhaps having _one_ person to talk to about the whole ordeal might offer her some comfort in the end, maybe even some advice. After a few nods from Nami, Luffy held her breath for a long moment and finally decided to give in. "He said I'm pregnant," she answered through her exhale, prompting Nami to tilt her head.

When Luffy made no means to continue on, Nami laughed awkwardly. "You're joking, right?"

Luffy remained motionless.

"Luffy?" Nami questioned then, stare becoming more alert. "You're…you're serious?" Her wide stare fell to Luffy's stomach, observing for what seemed to be an eternity. "That's…" Lifting her gaze, she fell back flat on her bottom. "This is…you're with child?"

"That's what the doctor said," Luffy answered softly, eyes falling to the basket once more. She reached for it, removing it from Nami's grip before quickly fishing around for more food to eat. "I don't believe him…at least, I don't want to."

"Uh…" Swallowing, Nami pressed her hands to her knees. "What…what about the father then? Does he know?"

Luffy flicked a hard stare up Nami's way. She hadn't meant to look to her as such, but the question prompted a blob of frustration to erupt in her. For the past two weeks she thought about the father, completely unknowing as to _who_ he was and what she was going to do about him.

_I only have two options…_

"_He_ doesn't know," she answered, fighting back the urge to come off as annoyed.

"What are you going to do about it, then?" she questioned next, tone growing weak. "Are…are you going to keep it?"

Cocking a brow, Luffy found a small pout forming upon her lips. "What do you mean…?"

Exhaling, Nami shrugged, expression morphing into that of concern. "You do realize that you probably won't be able to stay once you give birth, right? People like Crocodile don't want their servant's infant feeding off their resources…he's going to throw you out once you become too much of a burden."

"That…" Placing her sandwich down, Luffy shook her head firmly. "That won't happen."

"You're being naïve," Nami objected in a stern tone. "If it were up to Robin, I'm sure she'd let you stay and continue working, but not everybody is as kind as her…and Crocodile is not a kind man."

"Nami," Luffy started, only to be silenced when the fellow maid lifted her hand.

"You need to listen to me," Nami said when Luffy grew silent. "You need to find the father and go live with him, if you can. If he can't support you and the baby, then…then you might have to…"

"Nami, no," Luffy objected as she sat up on her knees. "I'm not…I couldn't…" She fully arose, shaking her head before sending Nami a hurt expression. _I can't go to one of those back alleys…That would be too scary, and…and… _Pressing her hand to her stomach, Luffy fluttered her eyes shut. _I'm not ready to make any decisions, not yet._

"You might not have any other choice," Nami countered, arising as well when Luffy began to walk away. Quickly, she called out her name, to no avail. "You need to figure out your options," she suggested loudly, making no means to follow after her.

* * *

It had only been a mere two hours before she was approached by Robin in the laundry room, expression concern and body tense. "We need to talk," she started, earning Luffy's full attention from the watery suds of the wash bucket.

Widening her stare, Luffy responded with a tilt of her head.

"Nami told me," Robin rephrased, prompting the maid to stiffen up. "She told me everything."

Her mind screamed at her, a pit of anger and frustration growing in her gut. _Nami! She promised she wouldn't tell anyone!_

"I see that look on your face," Robin quickly said, kneeling down to meet Luffy's level. "She told me only because she feared for your health…please, do not be angry at her."

"She said she wouldn't tell anyone," the maid began, only to stop when the older woman pressed her hand on her forearm.

With a warm expression, Robin softly revealed, "I'm glad she did. You shouldn't face this on your own. Luffy, _how did this happen_?"

The maid couldn't help but send her a blank expression.

Shaking her head, Robin corrected herself. "Yes, I know _how_ it happened, but I meant _with whom_?" A moment passed by before she quietly added, "Was it with that man…your special friend?"

Biting down on her lower lip, Luffy glanced down to the water, unsure of how to answer.

"He's the father, isn't he?" Robin began, breathing soft as she pressed her hand to Luffy's cheek. "And you're scared since you've stopped your affair with him, yes?" Before the maid had the chance to respond, Robin offered her the warmest of smiles. "You need not worry—I'll help you."

Standing up, Robin folded her hands together over the front of her waist. "Nami shared her concerns with Crocodile finding out—I won't allow him to throw you out like that." Her gaze softened. "I could even get you a job with my mother, or perhaps a family member, but I won't stand by you living on the streets, especially with a little one on the way."

"_Robin_," Luffy tried to object, falling silent when the older woman shook her head.

"I just won't," she repeated, tone firmer than before. "If _he_ tries to dismiss your services, I'll confront him…_we'll _confront him, together. I am your friend and now you are in need of my help."

"I don't want to confront him, though," Luffy objected, flopping back on her bottom. "I don't want to do anything…"

"You have to," Robin countered, in a motherly tone. "Luffy, you're in a serious situation, do you not realize this? Your best route is to inform the father—perhaps he can offer you and the child support. If not…"

Frowning, Luffy took to pressing her hand to her stomach. "I don't even know if I want…_this_," she confided in a whisper. "I'm scared."

"Luffy," Robin started as she took a step towards her, hand falling on top the maid's shoulder. "It's only natural for you to be scared…but don't think you're alone. You have me to help you, remember that."

While she was appreciative of Robin's kind offers, Luffy still found herself sick to her core. It was easy for the woman to say all of such, but difficult for Luffy to accept. _She doesn't even have the faintest clue that her husband might be the father,_ she thought, a frown forming. _I have no right to accept her help…no right…_

Besides that, the maid still had the problem of figuring out how to inform the two potential fathers. How would she go about doing as such? _Should I just sit both of them down and lay it all out on the table? No…they'd just kill each other…_Shaking her head, Luffy went to cup her cheeks. _I don't know what to do!_

Clearing her throat, Robin offered Luffy a soft gaze. "I'll leave you alone for now, but when you do figure out what you want to do, please tell me. I am here for you." And with that said, the older woman made her leave in silence, prompting Luffy to fall over on her side and cover her face with her arm.

_Ugh._

* * *

***A week has passed***

She glared at the scattered glass across the hallway floor, once intricate designs now beyond recognition. One moment she had been dusting the walls as Zoro took to rearranging the paintings, and the next she was being knocked forward into a seemingly expensive vase.

Zoro was the first to react, grabbing Luffy's arm before she met the floor but failing to catch the vase. And now, as the two servants stared with gaped mouths and wide eyes, the vase was no more one single item, but thousands of little pieces.

The worse part, however, was the loud and alarming crash it made upon impact, alerting all to the situation.

"This is your fault," Zoro had whispered to her in a harsh tone.

She shook her head in objection, the sound of one particular office door opening. "_You_ knocked into me," she shot back. "This is _**your**_ fault!"

"I'm not facing him," Zoro stated as he took a step back from the scene of the crime.

Huffing, she sent him a cold stare. "The other week you were going on and on about how you weren't scared of him! Don't tell me you were just all talk!"

Before Zoro had the chance to respond, Crocodile had emerged out of his office, expression that of alert and annoyance, as if he knew they were up to no good. He was before them in mere seconds, head cranked down as he glared down at his now destroyed vase. "Who did this?" he questioned, tone blank of any emotion.

Tensing up, Luffy went to call Zoro out, but the butler was faster.

"Luffy almost fainted again," he quickly lied, avoiding Luffy's hard gaze as he spoke. "She sort of stumbled over into the vase…"

Crocodile's stare left the young male to land on the maid. "Do you have any idea what you just broke?"

Folding her hands together over her chest, Luffy quickly shook her head. "No, I…"

Exhaling, he stopped her with a wave of his hand, a strained expression coming to life upon his face. "This vase is…_**was**_ older than you," he added, tone hard. "It belonged to the man who lived here before I did…"

"She's really sorry," Zoro said in place of Luffy, prompting Crocodile to turn his glare back on him. "But can you blame her?"

"She can _speak_ for herself," the older male spat back, brows lowering as he glanced back down at the shattered vase. "As for you," he continued, lifting his gaze back up to Zoro's face, "you can go fetch something to clean this up with."

With a stiff nod, the butler quickly got out of there, going down the wrong way before twirling around and heading back towards the staircase. "I'll…I'll go get something," he added softly before pushing past the two and another approaching the scene.

"What was that noise?" Robin questioned as she took by Luffy's side, eyes falling to the floor. Her lips pursed soon enough, a whisper of an _oh_ escaping her.

Ignoring his wife, Crocodile gave Luffy a stern look. "Well?" he began, prompting her to weakly meet his gaze. "Explain yourself."

Shrugging briefly, she glanced off to the side for a moment. "It was an accident," she answered.

Huffing, he shook his head, clearly annoyed. "Accidents don't happen, only _carelessness_." Crocodile gestured to the floor, mouth opening and closing as he tried to word his frustrations. "This vase was _priceless._"

"It's just vase," Robin objected, taking one step forward so that Luffy was behind her—a protective stance. "Just buy another one."

Arching a brow, he gave the woman a disgusted once over before speaking. "Clearly you don't understand the sentimental value of items."

Exhaling, Robin pointed to the ground. "It was an ugly vase to begin with. Purchase another one and stop being so harsh on her." Her arms soon crossed over her chest, eyeing him hard.

"_**Harsh?**_" he questioned, tone growing amused. "I'm being _harsh_?" Pausing, he took a moment to calm himself, a small smile forming under his scar. "I do believe I instructed you a few weeks ago to learn your place, yet here you are, questioning me on how I am to talk to my _**own**_ servant." A forced half-laugh escaped him as he glanced towards Luffy, eyes locking for only a mere second as he took to looking back at Robin. "You are testing my limits."

Tensing up, Robin sent him a heavy frown. "I am looking out for the safety of this young woman," she retorted. "She is in a delicate condition and doesn't need you harping at her like that!"

Luffy's gaze widened, hand covering her own mouth quickly to hide her gasp. _**No**__. No, no, no, no…Robin, do not!_

Crocodile cocked a brow, as if awaiting for some new revelation. "_Condition_?" he asked. "The doctor gave the report that she was in perfect health, so what in the world are you talking about?"

"Luffy is," Robin begin, prompting the maid to cut her off with a shrew cry.

"_No_," Luffy whimpered out between her fingers, causing both Robin and Crocodile to glance her way. She shook her head, eyes locked on with Robin, mentally pleading her to not say anything.

Lifting his hand, he gestured to both of them, disbelief crossing his face. "Are you two hiding something from me?" he asked, hard stare bouncing between the two of them. "I tolerate a lot of things in this mansion, but I will not stand for _this_." Now facing Robin completely, he continued on. "You will not have _my_ maid hide things from me. I will no longer stand around as you manipulate her…"

Cutting him off, Robin pointed one finger his way. "The only manipulator in this mansion is you," she countered, tone just as firm as his. "And you will_** not**_ speak to me in that manner—I am your wife, an equal party in this marriage. You throw around these threats, and it may work on someone young and unknowing like Luffy, but_** I**_ will not stand for it anymore."

Licking his lower lip, he formed a fist, but kept to his side. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, woman," he warned her sharply. "Go against me and you won't live very long."

"And you forget who backs me up in my family," Robin retorted. "You do anything to harm me, my servants, or Luffy, and you'll have to face not only the wrath of my kin, but also the repercussions of losing the _only_ protection to your main drug route." Exhaling heavily, she offered him her best smirk. "I suggest you learn _your_ place."

With eyes widening, he remained silent for a long moment, nostrils flaring slightly. Inhaling, he reached out for Luffy, taking her by the wrist to tug her his way. "She is coming with me and _you_ can go," he ordered Robin. "I will deal with her on my own."

"Let go of her!" the older woman shot back as she took the maid by the arm, pulling her back. "Do _not_ grab her like that again."

With his hand still on her wrist, Crocodile took a step towards Robin. "What part of _she is __**my**__ maid_ that you don't understand, hmm? Are you truly that thick in the head?"

Lowering her brows, Robin looked to Luffy. "I can't," she said, prompting the maid to look to her with confusion. "I can't allow you to live in this mansion with him anymore, not in your condition."

"What _fucking_ condition do you keep mentioning?" Crocodile practically yelled, pulling Luffy back towards him, with more force. His grip on her hurt, but Luffy remained in silence, too shell shocked to speak. "And you can't _allow_ her to live here? Where do you get off thinking you can decide where she can and cannot live?"

Keeping her stare to Luffy's, Robin offered her a concerned expression. "Look at him!" she ordered, hand gesturing to Crocodile. "Do you honestly think you can survive here while raising a child?"

Widening her stare, Luffy quickly shook her head, completely taken aback that Robin was actually spilling everything out.

"A child?" Crocodile mouthed, gaze falling down as he scrunched up his nose. Glancing back up, he sent Robin a confused expression. "Do you mean _Coby_? He's hardly a child, and if anything, he's Tsuru's responsibly, not hers."

Exhaling loudly, Robin finally turned her gaze his way. "You're so _dense_. She's with child and your actions today only prove my concerns of any child growing up in this mansion in your presence."

Releasing her wrist, Crocodile sent Luffy a wide-eyed stare, lips falling ajar. "You're _pregnant_?" he questioned, the words falling off his tongue in a strained tone. Taking a step back, his gaze fell down to her waist, expression growing blank. Tensing up, he took to meeting her stare before shaking his hand, as if trying to wave it all away.

Luffy opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out except a weak wheeze. Her heart pounded hard, more so from his reaction than Robin revealing her secret.

His eyes flicked between the two women, brows lowering to form that hard look he sported so often. "You clean this fucking mess right now," he ordered before turning around, heading straight for the office. A moment later, and the sound of his door slamming filled the narrow hallway.

Breathing heavily, Luffy glanced to her side, meeting the wide eyes of one butler, standing with a dust pan and broom. He appeared more shocked than anybody, as if he had just walked in on a murder.

Shaking her head, Robin took to Luffy's side, gently touching her arm. "Are you alright?" she asked. She, herself, still appeared tense, but it was clear to Luffy that she was trying her best to calm down. "Did he hurt you? You look so pale…"

The maid shook her head in silence.

Taking a moment to think, Robin offered her a soft smile. "See, if I can stand up to him, so can you. Luffy, I don't want you to worry—I won't allow him to harm you."

As like before, Luffy remained silent.

Biting down on her lower lip, Robin turned to Zoro briefly before looking back to Luffy. She took to hugging her gently, calling out the butler's name. "Come join the hug—she needs it."

Shaking his head, Zoro objected. "I don't want to…"

"Come join the hug, _Zoro_," Robin repeated, this time in a stern tone. Doing as such caused the male to weakly wrap his arms around the two, awkwardly finding a place to prop his head.

He exhaled softly as he tilted his head towards Luffy's. "I'm sorry I caused you to fall into the vase and get you pregnant."

"That's not how it works," Robin dully responded, pulling away from the hug to offer him a blank expression. "That is not at all how it works."

Luffy could only whine as she glanced down the hallway, towards Crocodile's office. _Everything is just getting so much worse!_ Holding her breath, she slipped away from the two, making sure not to step on the glass. "I'm going to go lay down," she announced softly, completely done with that day.

_Completely done with everybody and everything._

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Crocodile confronts Luffy on the pregnancy and suggests his solution to fixing their _problem_.

* * *

**A/N2:** The identity of the baby's biological father isn't going to important to us. It is, however, very important to such characters as Crocodile, Law, Luffy, etc., but as _**we**_ are concerned, I'm not going to make it a big deal. I only had her conceive about the time of the wedding so that _Luffy_ would be unsure of who the father is, since it was hard to pinpoint conception dates during that time frame. With that said (and the fact that I said she was about 5 weeks pregnant last chapter) **Crocodile is the biological father**. I never intended for the identity of the biological father to be this big mystery (but from Luffy's POV, yes, it is a mystery). However, do not mistake biological father as my way as saying Crocodile is going to raise this child…but he might also do just that. I'm not going to give away what happens in regards to the baby. So yeah…bloop :^)

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Cereza101:** Yes, the stress is a big concern for Luffy at this point. She needs to take it easy and avoid any sticky situations. Thank you for reading!

**Minhthu12-Present: **haha, yes. The pregnancy plot point was a total given for this story. Thanks for reading!

**RazzleDazzle:** I tried to make it more realistic in that regards, by having her get knocked up later in the story. Sometimes, it's really hard to conceive, you got to do it at the *right* moment &amp; sometimes it takes couples months/years to conceive. I'm so glad you're excited! Thank you so much for reading my trash baby!

**Sellen23:** Ah! Thank you so very much! :D

**Kimi Saruby**: Law will have his say/stance on the pregnancy soon enough! Again, these characters don't know who the biological father is, even though I've told you all. But he will have his word/thoughts on it. Thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight555**: So far, nobody is really happy about it. But we haven't encountered all the parties yet, so we'll see. :^) And Luffy and Robin will have their tense moment when certain truths are revealed. Ahhh, naming a daughter Lami would be the CUTEST. *joins you in the trashcan* We are home, where we belong. Thank you so much for reading!

**Son of Whitebeard**: Haha, had to throw that little furball in there somehow! Thanks for reading!

**Croco-Fan**: Thank you for bringing up the concern for the rating. I've changed it to Mature. Thanks for reading!

**Killtrafalgarlaw:** Yes, you're right: about 4ish/5ish weeks at the previous chapter. And I really don't want to give away anything by saying this, but the father of the baby will not play an important factor in the story anytime soon. While yes, it will become very important to characters such as Crocodile &amp; Law, it won't/shouldn't be important to us. In regards to Luffy knowing who the father is, it was much harder to pinpoint the exact conception date (since there is no way knowing *how* far along she is) during that time period. So I made her conceive during that time as a way for _her_ to be unsure, but for us, yeah, Crocodile is the father. Basically what I wrote above in the second author note, haha. Thanks for reading!

**Kiki's Cat**: Crocodile's full reaction will be next chapter. Yeah, Law, when he founds out, is totally going to have a field day. This *is* going to put a strain on their relationship, as if there isn't one already, haha! Thank you so much for reading!

**Staticy Fox Atra**: Luffy is going to have a hard time figuring out who the father is, if she ever even does. Both parties, obviously, are going to claim the child as their own, and that's where more tension will develop. Ah! I'm so sorry the suspense is killing you! I'm totally evil, so sorry! Ahah, thanks for reading!

**Fro for President:** Ahahahaha, I love your little freak out! Biologically speaking, Crocodile is the father. And yeah, there have been cases with twins when there are two fathers! But sadly, I'm not going that route. But that would have been a cool plot twist, haha. Robin will have her say if/when she finds out that Crocodile is a potential father, trust me. And yeah, Luffy can't really trust Law at this moment, and we'll see that in the next few chapters when they meet up. I totally love and care about your rambles! It makes me feel like you really enjoyed the chapter, which is the ultimate compliment, so thank you! Crocodile has his good and bad moments, where you end up liking him but then right away end up going "omfg shut up you old fart I hate you." Thank you so much for the reviews and reading my story!


	34. Options

**To Serve at his Command|** Options

"Luffy."

His voice was soft, innocent, and a squeak in the dark room.

"_Luffy_."

Cracking an eye open, Luffy took in the blackness of the night, sleep slowly leaving her.

"Are you awake, Luffy?"

Blinking, she opened her other eye, sitting up slowly. She took to rubbing her face, glancing about afterwards and spotting a small figure standing in her room. "Who…?"

"It's me, Coby," the youngster quietly answered, hands two black blobs as he folded them together over his tummy. "The master has called in for you."

"_Shut up_," Nami snarled out, annoyance in her voice. "And get out _Coby_, this is the girl's room!"

Shaking, the boy turned Nami's way. "I knocked but nobody answered, and the master is really animate about seeing Luffy…" Turning back Luffy's way, he gave an awkward nod before heading for the door. "I…I wouldn't keep him waiting, he's in his office."

As soon as he left, Nami sat up, orange hair falling across her face in loose locks. "It's the middle of the night! What does he want with you now?"

In silence, Luffy pressed her feet to the cold floor, yawning slowly. She knew full well what Crocodile wanted—it was more than obvious what was on his mind. Ever since their encounter in the hallway in the late afternoon, the man had stayed put in his office, isolated from the rest of household.

But, at that moment, Luffy had no desires to answer her fellow maid.

Standing up, Luffy went for her small chest of clothing, propping the box open and shifting through for her robe—the one Crocodile had ordered for her months ago. She rarely wore the thing, but she figured wearing it now would be easier than throwing on her entire uniform.

"Are you still ignoring me?" Nami practically whined out, legs folding inwards as she watched Luffy with probing eyes. "I'm _sorry_!"

Looping the slash, Luffy offered the girl one narrowed stare. "You shouldn't have said anything!" she retorted, still upset over Nami's loose lips. "I thought you were good on promises, but you went and told Robin as soon as possible." Inhaling deeply, she went for the door, ignoring Nami's pleads to talk it out.

Closing the door, Luffy shook her head as she continued down the servant's hallway. While she understood Nami's concerns, she still felt betrayed by her actions. _It wasn't her place to do that…_Pouting, the maid slowed down as she neared the base of the stairs. _But she didn't mean any harm by it…_

Luffy was sure she'd forgive Nami in the future—she was never one for holding grudges over such incidents. If anything, she figured she'd guilt the fellow maid into getting her extra food during the next few months to come. _She'd have to, after what she's done to me._ Huffing, she began her ascent up the stairs, mind pushing away her troubles with Nami to prepare her for her upcoming encounter with Crocodile.

The maid had absolutely no idea what was going through his head at that moment. His initial reaction wasn't much of a giveaway—him storming off to his office without saying a single word to her implied that he was angry, yet, from what she observed, he was never one to hold his tongue when feeling such emotions.

_Unless this is a whole other level of fury he's feeling right now,_ she fearfully thought as she approached the top of the stairs. Stopping for a moment, she gazed down the hallway—dark and unwelcoming. _Eh, I don't want to go down there…_

But she had no choice—either face him now or later, the conversation was bound to happen.

Approaching the office door, she tapped gently upon the wood, receiving no answer. After another soft knock, Luffy took a chance and entered without direct permission. Inside, the lights were on, prompting her to wince as she closed the door.

Crocodile sat at his desk, face buried in his arms and surrounded by random liquor bottles and trays of burnt out cigars. He had a glass of some brown alcohol pressed to the side of his head, and for a moment, Luffy feared that he perhaps wasn't awake at that moment.

_Has he been drinking…?_

Licking her lower lip, she slowly made her way across the room, taking to the side of the desk. Reaching one hand out, she gently touched his shoulder, prompting him to jerk and lift his head up, alarmed. Wide eyes met and soon he was glancing around the room as his body sat upwards.

Bringing her hand back towards her chest, she observed the man as he organized himself, pressing his drink to the table and slicking loose strands back.

"Sit," he finally said as he nodded off to the chair across the table, tone bleak.

Swallowing, she did just that, crossing her feet and pushing them back under the chair. Her gaze fell to the liquor bottles, curiosity growing as she wondered exactly how _much_ he had to drink. _He does look a bit relaxed…_

Slumping in his seat, Crocodile began to squeeze the bridge of his nose, clearly exhausted. And he remained doing as such for a good part of a minute, prompting Luffy to shift in her seat.

"If you're tired, we can talk about this later," she suggested, earning one dull stare from him.

"No," he objected, hand falling over the armrest, "we _can't_. This needs to be discussed _now_."

She offered him two stiff nods, sniffing once before speaking. "What do you want to discuss first?"

Huffing softly, he gestured at her with his hand, a mixture of frustration and confusion forming upon his face. "Your _condition_," he blurted out, hand falling loudly on his lap. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but nothing escaped his lips.

Throwing her gaze aside, Luffy inhaled deeply for a moment, holding her breath as she thought of a reasonable way to address the situation. Throwing him a blank stare, she simply said, "The doctor told me I was pregnant."

"Is he sure, though?" Crocodile countered, brows arching. "You don't _look_ it—how can he know?"

"I don't think he made a mistake," Luffy answered quietly, hands folding together over her lap so she could pick at her fingers. "He told me about all these signs of pregnancy and then determined that I was, so…"

Reaching out for his drink, he took a swig, wincing afterwards before placing the glass back down. "And you've known about it since then?" he questioned after composing himself. "When were you planning on _telling_ me?"

Luffy began to chew on her inner cheek, unsure of how to answer. Shrugging, she hoped that would be good enough for him.

Exhaling loudly, he glanced away, as if annoyed by her response. "This can't be happening."

"It is, though," Luffy softly retorted, earning a hard stare.

"I _know_," he shot back, tone growing angry. "And I don't…I don't want _it_." He brought his hand up to the edge of the armrest, flexing it into a fist. "This was never part of the plan," he added, voice softer but still laced with frustration. "We need to fix this problem, now."

Arching her brows, Luffy sat up in her seat, confused by what he meant. "I don't…?"

Relaxing his hand, he pointed towards the door. "I can arrange for us to meet somebody tonight; they can terminate it and we'll forget that this whole thing ever happened." When he began to arise, Luffy shook her head.

"_No_," she objected, words falling from her mouth in a sloppy manner. "No, no, no—I don't want to do that."

Widening his stare and tilting his head slightly, Crocodile said, "You want to _keep_ it?" He sounded as if he were completely and utterly taken aback by the thought. "No," he quickly added, lifting his hand to silence her from responding. "No, I can't have my maid pregnant with my bastard. Do you have any idea what problems will arise from this, hmm?"

Frowning, Luffy resisted the urge to lash back, weary of the state he was in. His anger seemed to continue to rise, and she feared the effects of upsetting him even more. "I'll leave then," she responded, prompting him to send her a narrowed stare. "If…" Licking her lower lip, she pressed her hand to her stomach and nodded. "If keeping _this_ will be that hard for you, then I'll leave…I'm not going to do anything to harm it."

His gaze fell to her hand, body falling back against the chair. His lips parted, and for a moment, he remained utterly silent.

When he made no means to respond, Luffy scooted forward in her seat. "If that's my only option here, then I will go and raise it, but…" A frown took to her as she tried to say the words on her mind. "But I won't return once I leave."

His stare met hers, observing her expression as he propped his elbow on the armrest. "I can't claim it as mine if you stay," he finally said, voice soft—almost a whisper. "And I won't be the ideal father, especially in my line of business."

Remaining silent, Luffy casted her gaze past him and out through the window.

"Is this really what you want?"

Meeting his gaze, the maid nodded.

Huffing, Crocodile fell back in his seat, defeated. His hand went for his face, rubbing his eyes. "I should have been more careful," he admitted. "I should have known this was bound to happen…" His hand fell back to his lap, stare now relaxed as he glanced down at her stomach once more. "You're pregnant…"

"Yes," Luffy retorted, tilting her head slightly.

"And it's mine," he added slowly.

While she wasn't sure on that, she couldn't help but nod in response, to please him.

He took to his drink once more, smirking at the glass before taking a sip. "I only drink this stuff on special occasions," he admitted after a long moment. "And I suppose _this_ counts as one." With a shrug, he finished his drink before arising. Arching a brow, Luffy watched as he turned towards the window, head tilted towards the direction of the street before the mansion. "I want you to move up into the guest room beside my bedroom—no more sleeping down in the servant's quarters."

Frowning slightly, Luffy tilted her head. "Won't that look odd to everybody else, though?"

"No," he objected, turning slightly to throw her a quick look. "It'll look like an employer being kind to his maid." Before she had the chance to respond, he silenced her with a wave of his hand. "No more talk of this—I'm tired, and you're obviously tired; we'll discuss this more in the morning."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **A certain somebody becomes curious and alarmed when Luffy moves into the guest bedroom. Crocodile opens up more about the pregnancy. Luffy goes to visit Doctor Chopper.

**A/N: Ah! So sorry for the short chapter! Next chapter should be the regular long length!**

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**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle:** Crocodile is going to be in the awkward/distant phase about the whole ordeal for a while, haha. Thanks for reading!

**Sellen23:** Aw, thank you so much! Yeah, I think between the two of them, Law would have been a better biological father choice, for a happier story, but this isn't exactly a happy story. Thank you for reading!

**Chuuichuu:** Haha, yes Zoro! He's too pure for this story. Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** For sure, I'll have one chapter in the future of the first half in Crocodile's POV, but that's at the very end. I might be more relaxed in regards to different POVs in the second half/sequel, since I'll have a lot more plot/situations happening at the same time. And trust me, Crocodile is going to have his fair share of disastrous reactions towards the baby and when secrets are revealed. Thanks for reading!

**Destiny's Dawn666:** AH! You're one of the only readers that seems to be happy that Crocodile is the biological father, haha. Well, be ready because the tension is only going to continue to rise! Thank you for reading!

**Starlight555:** Haha, our little mosshead just had a moment. And do not fear! LawLu is still in the running! Thanks for reading!

**Milkachocolate: **Oh, I'm so sorry to see you've been unwell! D: And to see you consider my writing helping you even in the slightest is super-duper flattering—but I really hope you feel better outside of reading this story! You're super nice and deserve to be happy/feeling good. Haha, everybody will eventually find out about everything soon enough. Robin and Luffy will, like I've been saying, experience some major turmoil in their relationship. And in regards to Ace, he'll have *a lot* to say/do when he finds out about everything (or, well, *who*) Luffy's been doing. Thank you so much for reading!

**UnicornsThatGamble:** Crocodile's reaction isn't the nicest one or at least the one most would be hoping for, but I was hoping it was realistic. Considering he's heavily involved in the mafia/drug world, and isn't exactly the biggest guy in terms of family life, throwing a baby into the mix is a little off-putting for him, BUT that may or may not change in the future. WHO KNOWS? I do :3c Thanks for reading!

**Killtrafalgarlaw:** I'm literally dying from laughter right now at your comment because it's so true. I'm so mean to him on Tumblr but I'm like a totally different person here on writing. MAYBE I should have him start spitting out terrible jokes hahaha. If I ever write another story with him in it and it isn't so heavily dramatic, then holyfuckyes those terrible jokes would be thrown out every chapter. Thanks for reading!

**Guest:** CrocLu isn't one of my favorite parings, but the reason I basically went with it was because nobody else really was. I could have went with the really popular pairing for Crocodile/Doffy, or perhaps Crocodile/Daz, but there are other wonderful stories/authors on this site who mainly focus on said pairings, and I didn't see a need in turning this story into one of those pairings when a reader can just go check out those stories. :) But ah! I'm happy you're comparing it to a soap opera-that's super flattering because I wanted that from the get-go, to have this super dramatic, and yes, sometimes cheesy, story with terrible cliches and such, haha. And yeah, totally "Ick." I'm trying to paint him out almost idiotically in a sense, since typically, somebody shouldn't be surprised over a pregnancy after banging like they were. Anyway, thank you so much for checking out this story and reading all of it so far! I hope you stick around for more!

**Kiki's Cat:** I won't go into *too* much detail, but I will say that I do like your ideas. You're on the right path, and you have really good reasoning behind your thoughts, but the truth about who is the traitor will be revealed by this first half's end. Kid is going to be introduced in Part 2/sequel. He is going to be sort of an alley in a sense towards Law-more so, they'll need each other's help in order to achieve a common goal. :)


	35. Upgrading

***About a week has passed since last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Upgrading

Luffy sat crossed-legged on her new bed, amongst the few things she possessed, now scattered about. From a few articles of clothing to a handful of trinkets and of course, one anatomy book, the maid owned little a few moments prior; however, now she owned an entire room, all to herself, lavished with fine furniture and even finer decorations.

With a flick of his hand, Crocodile had bestowed as much upon her, deeming she needed to be _closer_ to him now, what with her delicate condition. Luffy couldn't piece together as to why he thought as such. To her, there was no difference between staying in the room beside his own or occupying the servants' room down below—either way, she'd always be within reach of him.

Flopping over, the maid tucked a hand under the side of her face as she stared off towards the large window—something the servants' quarters lacked. While she thought the room a nice gesture, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by it. _I wasn't forced to move up here before, so why now?_ And naturally, she realized that perhaps it had to do with the pregnancy, but the man hadn't been exactly joyful about it the past week—if anything, he seemed more easily agitated than usual.

But between awkward comments and strained suggestions, Crocodile had thrown the room at her, demanding that she move in by the end of the week. He almost seemed flip-flopped about it all, one moment coming across as interested and even slightly concerned, only to pull back the next moment and become increasingly distant.

While the maid would have _loved_ to continue to ponder over the inner workings of her employer, she had other matters to worry about. _Now that Crocodile knows, there are really only two more people I need to concern myself with…_

First being Law.

Between the two men, Luffy had no clue as to who the father was of the ever-growing fetus inside her, and naturally, yes, because of such, she was upset; however, the idea of confronting Law upset her even more. She still had internal struggles in regards to that doctor-in-training. He had betrayed her trust, handing over Ace's identity and his illegal actions over to the government with a bow on top. He had done as such in regards to Crocodile, so why couldn't he have done the same with her brother?

Besides having no means to seek him out, Luffy found herself still too angry to even _think_ of talking to him. _I wouldn't be able to move past him lying in order to tell him about this pregnancy…_And it was true: how could she easily jump over the fact that he betrayed her in order to reveal to him that he may or may not be a father? And while yes, telling him would be the _right_ thing to do, the maid had no desires to do the right thing at that moment. _I wouldn't even want somebody who would betray me like that get involved with…_With thoughts trailing off, she pressed a hand to her stomach, a small pout forming.

_Enough thinking about him._

Rolling over on her back, she glared up at the ceiling. There was really only one other person she had to worry about besides Law.

_Ace._

Luffy knew her brother well, and she could easily predict his reaction to the situation. _Anger…no, __**rage**__…and he'd go on the attack—of course he would._ It was one thing to sleep around with a person her brother deemed an enemy, but to potentially carry said man's child? _That would push him over the edge._

If there was anybody Luffy dreaded confronting more than Law, it was confronting Ace. Yet, there was no way out of it—eventually they would have to meet again, and then he could _see_, either by the bump that was soon to develop, or if later on, by the physical child in her arms.

Grimacing, she brought her hands up to cover her eyes, exhaling loudly. _Why can't I just sweep all of this under the rug?_ _Why does Ace have to know and why does Law have to be such a big of a liar? _Peeking out through her fingers, she glanced down her frame, eyeing her waist hard. _And why did __**you**__ have to happen?_

She took to her side once more, grabbing a nearby throw pillow and pulling it in towards her stomach. Luffy quickly became upset for thinking such thoughts, but it just came so easily to her to blame everybody else, including the baby to be.

The door to her right opened silently, a small figure quickly gliding in. Luffy watched as Robin glanced about, posture relaxed but expression full of concern. When the older woman locked eyes with the maid, she offered her a thin smile.

"This room is _nicer_ than the one you had before," she said as she took to the side of the bed, fingers reaching out to trace the pattern on the top blanket. "Do you like it?"

Sitting up, Luffy answered with a nod, hands folding together over her lap. She could easily see how awkward it was for Robin to be there, probably confused as to how and why she was given this room. _She must find this all strange…_

Licking her dry lower lip, Robin casted her gaze aside, as if taking in everything. "To be honest, I'm rather surprised he actually gave you such a room." Meeting her stare, she weakly smiled and added, "And of all rooms, he chose the one beside his."

Blinking, Luffy found herself tensing up. "I think he just wants me close by to help him, with the chores…and everything…" It wasn't much of answer, she knew that, but it was the best she could offer the woman without revealing anything.

Tilting her head, Robin nodded stiffly. "I'm sure that's the reason," she commented, tone blank of any emotion. Exhaling, she brought her hands together over her waist, throwing the maid a relaxed expression. "How are you feeling, hmm? Is everything alright in regards to the pregnancy?"

"I think so," Luffy answered. She still had the occasionally cases of nausea, lightheadedness, and fatigue, but besides that, she hadn't experience any alarming symptoms.

"That's good to hear," Robin responded softly before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She patted the area to her side twice, fingers lingering before curling in to form a small fist. "I hope you don't find any offence to my questioning, but do you not have any family?"

Widening her stare slightly, Luffy cocked a brow. "I have a family," she answered in a murmur. Swallowing, she continued on. "I have a brother and my grandfather…why?"

Shaking her head briefly, Robin simply answered, "I was curious, that's all." Pausing, she offered the maid warm smile. "I believe it would be wise of you to inform any relatives of your pregnancy, just in case you need help with it in the future."

Nodding, Luffy glanced away quickly before speaking. "I suppose you're right," she agreed, even if she were lying. Meeting the woman's stare, she added, "I'll figure out what to do about all that later."

Frowning slightly, Robin lowered her gaze. "You're running out of options here. If you have no plans on informing the father then…" Before she had the chance to finish her sentence, the door opened once more, a much larger figure entering.

He met his wife's stare first before glancing over to Luffy, expression morphing from that of relaxation to one of agitation. "You shouldn't bother the help," Crocodile commented as he took to looking back Robin's way. "She is busy and hasn't the time for chit chat."

Exhaling softly, the older woman shifted around, so that she was facing her husband's direction. "I don't see the harm in seeing if she's faring well," she responded, voice firm and slowly becoming on the offensive. Taking a moment to relax her posture, she gestured at the room about her. "_This_ was rather generous for you to arrange." She spoke as if untrusting of his actions.

Throwing her a thin frown, Crocodile lowered his brows. "You did suggest that I go easier on her, did you not?"

Nodding slightly, Robin smirked. "It seems my words and warnings from last week have begun to work on you, yes?"

Turning around, he went for the window, drawing back the curtains to peer into the dark outside world. "You're dismissed—I need to have a word with my maid."

Throwing Luffy a dull look, Robin rolled her eyes once before arising. Approaching the door and opening it, she paused and glanced back towards Crocodile. "I wonder what it looks like to everybody else when they see that your maid is treated better than your own wife, hmm." Robin was gone by the time he turned around, door slamming shut and prompting Luffy to bury her face into the palms of her hands.

"That woman is getting on my last nerves," Crocodile commented as he took to the door a few moments later, opening it silently to peer outside before closing and locking it. Turning Luffy's way, he waited for her to lift her head up before speaking. "I'm assuming you're all settled in now, yes?"

Glancing at the items at the foot of her bed, Luffy shrugged. She _did_ have all her possessions in the rooms, yes, but there wasn't much to put away—so she wasn't entirely sure if she could call it _settled in_. "I guess so," she answered, offering him a blanks stare.

Nodding once, he reached his hand into his pants pocket, pulling out a cigar and bringing it to his lips. The maid watched silently as he took to one of the sofas across her room, pulling out a match from his shirt pocket and striking it.

The scent from the cigar quickly filled the room, causing Luffy to scrunch up her nose.

Inhaling deeply, he slumped back in his seat before stretching his legs out, clearly tired from the long day. "I don't want you doing any more strenuous chores from now on," he finally said, meeting her stare for only a moment. "You'll stick to just tending to the simple things—aiding me, setting up the table for meals, and so on."

"Alright," Luffy agreed, not at all upset by this new decision of his. If anything, it was one of his better ones. Swallowing, she added, "I need to go to visit the doctor soon."

Cocking a brow, he pulled his cigar from his lips, eyes falling to her waist. "What for?" he questioned before frowning slightly. "Is something wrong with it?"

Shaking her head, she scooted forward to the edge of her bed, feet dangling out to touch the floor. "No," she objected, easing his expression. "When he visited before, he suggested that I drop by to discuss the pregnancy and what I need to do…"

Nodding, he returned the cigar to his lips, hand falling over the sofa armrest. He took to just smoking for the good part of a minute or so before removing it. Pressing it on top a square trinket as a makeshift ashtray, he looked Luffy's way. "I'll have Daz takes us into town tomorrow then," he stated. Before Luffy had the chance to respond, he lifted his hand and motioned for her to approach him. "Come here," he ordered, voice soft.

Tilting her head, Luffy arose from the bed, taking to the opposite of the room before stopping just before him. Spreading his legs slightly, he reached out for her skirt, tugging her forward between his knees, hand resting at her hip.

"This was never meant to happen," he commented quietly, more to himself than to her as his fingers traced in towards her abdomen. He pressed his fingertips gently upon her before quickly pulling away, eyes flicking up to meet her curious stare. "Are you sure you truly want it? Bringing a child into this world…my world…?"

Exhaling softly, Luffy pouted slightly before lifting her arms up to cross over her chest. "What's happened, _happened_," she retorted. "I never wanted this either," she admitted then, gaze falling. "But it has…"

His expression grew blank, eyes looking forward, as if through her. "I suppose there is no way around this," he said then, tone bleak. Pushing her back slightly, he arose, hand reaching out to cup her cheek as the life came back to his face. "You've only been here about half a year and look at all you've done," he commented, not angrily, but more so in an amused state. "So much happens in such little time."

* * *

With her back to him, Luffy felt him stir from his short slumber. She remained still, pretending to be asleep as he turned to throw his arm over her waist. A few minutes passed by, his breathing increasing as it became obvious that he had awoken.

Although dark in the room, she could see his hand move across the front of her slip, the warmth from his flesh piercing the thin fabric. He took to pressing his palm fully against her lower abdomen, and for a long moment, he remained still.

She would have said something, or made means to show she was awake, but curiosity kept her completely silent.

He arose then, collecting his discarded clothing. She watched—unknowing to him—as he got dressed, leaving her room soon after.

* * *

**The Following Morning**

Luffy sat alone in the waiting room, eyes occasionally gazing this way and that as she took in her rather boring setting. Not much seemed to be happening, what with there being nobody else present in the room with her. The doctor—who had promised to see her soon enough—was busy with another patient, and there were no assistants available to tend after Luffy.

And so, she sat in silence, hands folded together and body slumped back against her chair.

Crocodile had kept his promise, having Daz drive the two of them into town that early morning, but upon a rash decision, the older man determined that he wasn't needed for the visit. _It wouldn't look right if I accompanied my maid to the doctors as such_, he had informed her on the ride there, already on edge. Handing her a few bills, he had told her to do what she needed to do and then meet up with him somewhere nearby. If anything, she knew where the car was, and could wait there, something he deemed reasonable enough.

Her wait lasted a mere handful of minutes, ending when a little old lady hobbled out of one of the back rooms and out through the exit. Soon enough, Doctor Chopper was waving Luffy into his office.

The maid entered quickly, taking to a seat across from his rather low-standing table. Odd scents lingered about, causing her to wince and scrunch up her nose. To the sides of them stood tall bookshelves, cluttered with huge texts and strange vials of liquids, herbs, and ointments.

"It's so good to see you here," Chopper started, reaching out for a stack of papers to push aside to the corner of his desk. Narrowing his stare, he added in a snappy tone, "And it took you long enough! I thought you'd never show!"

Blinking, Luffy offered him a stiff nod. "I've been busy," she answered, alarmed at how rapid his emotions seemed to change. That alone seemed to bring a smile to his face, prompting her to cock a brow. "But I'm here now…"

"Yes, yes!" he cheered, hands clapping together once. "While I must admit, there really isn't much to it—pregnancy, that is." Pausing, he leaned forward in his seat, hands folding together upon his desk. "Throughout, I want you to make sure you eat an adequate amount of food, and received a proper nights rest, _every night_. Keep away from stressful activities—the more you stay inside, the better."

Frowning slightly, Luffy tilted her head and said, "That doesn't sound very fun."

Shaking his head, Chopper went to object. "Your life revolves around that baby inside of you, Miss—there is no time for fun anymore." Smirking a little, he went to add, "And I'm sure it's the fact that you had _too_ much fun that you're in this situation."

Pouting to his comment, Luffy fell back against her seat, arms crossing.

"No need to look so angry!" the doctor quickly blurted out, words a stuttered mess, as if regretful of ever saying anything to begin with. "I meant no harm, just a silly comment." He licked his lower lip, and continued on when she made no means to respond. "Anyway, what else? Ah…yes, that's it: Drink enough water to keep hydrated—more so than you already do. You may start lactating towards the end; that is all normal and nothing for you to become alarmed over." Exhaling, he took a moment to think. "Again, avoid stress and venturing outside…besides that, you should only come visit me if you ever feel something wrong, or if you're in labor."

Perking up, Luffy cocked a brow. "That's it…? I won't see you again?"

"Until you're ready to pop it out of you," he answered with a stiff nod. "There is very little I can offer you as of now—just nutritional advice and such."

Huffing, the maid glanced about before meeting Chopper's wide-eyed stare. _I came all the way out here for nothing then_, she thought, unhappy with her service. She wasn't exactly sure what to have expected, but she at least hoped for more than a few minutes with him. "I get nauseous easily…is there anything like that I should expect?"

Nodding, he said, "Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, and such are all common among pregnant women. You will become tired more easily later on—maybe develop a few aches and pains." Pausing, a smile came to him. "Think of it as an illness! Proper rest and food intake, and you'll start feeling better in no time."

Swallowing, Luffy made a slight shrug before pushing her chair back to arise. Slipping a hand into her pocket, she pulled out the bills Crocodile had given her, gaze flicking to meet the curious stare of the doctor. "How much…?" she questioned, somewhat revealing the wad of paper in her palm.

Widening his stare, Chopper smirked a little, chest rising from a half-laugh. "Where…where did a maid like you get so much money?"

With eyes falling to her palm, Luffy inhaled and took a moment to think. "Uh, well…Just tell me how much is it."

He lifted his hand to send her a dismissing wave. "Only a few coins, really."

Frowning slightly, Luffy objected softly, "I don't have any coins on me—just these bills…"

"Ah," Chopper began, expression growing awkward. "I, well, I suppose then just one of those will do just fine then."

The maid was quick to hand over one of the dollars before shoving the rest back into her uniform. Standing their mute for a moment, she gaze a weak shrug and nodded. "I'll be going now," she stated, earning one fat frown from the doctor.

"So quick to leave!" he practically snapped, prompting Luffy to tense up. Before she made means to respond, he was quick to flash a smile. "Be safe when returning home now, young miss—and remember everything I told you today." And with that, he was off to his shelves, stashing away the bill just given to him.

Cocking a brow, she mouthed a silent _alright_ before twirling around and heading out the office door. _That wasn't so bad,_ she thought to herself as she stepped out into the street, gaze glancing this way and that. _Now I just have to go find the others…_

* * *

Due to a lucky choice of direction, Luffy found them half an hour later from leaving the doctors. Or so, she spotted Daz slumped up against a restaurant wall, arms cross, and expression blank—as per usual—and she figured that could mean that Crocodile was inside.

Approaching the driver, she offered him a thin smile, only to be given a dull once over. Huffing, she began to mimic him, crossing her own arms and sporting her own lifeless facial expression.

Blinking only once, Daz lowered his thick eyebrows as he met her hard-pressed stare. "Are you finished with your…_visit_?"

"Yes," she responded before glancing towards the window, gaze spotting the familiar build of Crocodile towards the back of the dining area. "Is he eating?" she questioned then when she spotted the plate of food upon the table before him.

"This is a restaurant," Daz answered with a heavy exhale, as if the answer should have been obvious. When Luffy went to move towards the door, his hand was on her shoulder, holding her still. "Stay," he ordered.

Cocking her head, Luffy sported a frown and a pair of confused eyes. "Why?" she asked, pulling away from his tight grip. "I want to eat…"

The driver shook his head _no_. "He doesn't want you in there while he's dining."

Luffy was quick to respond, blurting out her retort rather loudly. "_**Why?**_"

Amusement took to his face, arms uncrossing for him to stretch. "Isn't it obvious?" he questioned, causing her to cock a brow. Rolling his eyes, he pointed at her stomach for a mere second before adding, "He doesn't want anybody connecting the dots that he's the father. If the wrong person saw, then he can get in a lot of trouble with certain…_alliances_."

"But I ate with him before in public," she shot back as her hands fell to her sides, flexing into small fists. "And I don't even look pregnant yet."

Shaking his head, he pushed himself away from the wall before making his way towards her. "I don't have the patience to argue with you," he declared, hand taking her forearm before dragging her forward.

Whining, she tried to pull again—failing miserably. "_Where are we going?_"

"To the car—you can wait inside for him to finish."

* * *

Slumped back low in the car seat, Luffy remained in utter silence on the drive back, arms tightly crossed over her chest, and lips seemingly pressed in a permanent frown. From the corner of her eye, she could see the man sitting parallel to her occasionally glance her way, as if trying to figure out her bad mood. And it remained as such until they reached the half-way point between the city and his mansion.

"Is something the matter?" Crocodile finally questioned, voice dull as he kept his stare on her.

Luffy attempted a half-shrug, still glaring forward with lips clamed shut. She heard a dry huff escape the man, followed by the sound of him shifting in his seat. Soon enough, a match was lite, followed by the heavy smells of cigar.

After a moment, she turned to look his way, watching him as he stared out through his window, cigar hanging between the corner of his lips. "Aren't you going to ask _why_?" she finally questioned, annoyed at how easily he dismissed her.

Turning his head her direction, he sent her a dry look before exhaling a puff of smoke. "I don't exactly care," he admitted. "You throw these little fits quite often—but if you feel the need to complain, nobody is stopping you."

Frowning slightly, she uncrossed her arms for a moment only to quickly cross them once more. "It wasn't fair that I wasn't allowed inside to eat today," she said, angrily so—not bitterly, but in an annoyed sense. "That was mean."

There was a deep scuff on Crocodile's part, prompting her to throw him a hard stare. "You know full well we've had this discussion before. I can't have you seen around me like that out in public anymore. It won't be hard for others—important people in my inner circles—to piece together what's going on when your condition becomes apparent." When Luffy went to object, he cut her off. "I'm not finished speaking," he firmly said, hand lifting briefly to silence her. "If word gets to Oliva that I'm fathering a child outside of my marriage with her daughter, certain aspects of my _work_ will becoming increasingly problematic—and that is not something I wish to happen."

"I _know_," Luffy spat out when he took a moment to pause. "I wasn't even talking about that," she added, causing him to cock a brow in confusion. "I'm mad that I didn't get to eat—not because I didn't get to eat _with_ you." If anything, Luffy didn't particularly care who and where she ate—food was food, and missing out on any meal was a crying shame in her eyes. "I'm hungry and the food in there looked really good."

With a deadpan expression, Crocodile shook his head slightly. "_**That**_ is why you're all in a huff?" He licked his lower lip, taking a moment to think—as if trying to comprehend such an answer. "Because you didn't get to eat_**there**_?"

She nodded once, a small pout coming to life upon her lips.

Huffing, he shook his head once again before pressing his cigar to his lips. "You're ridiculous," he finally concluded before taking a deep inhale.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Crocodile has a meeting with Iceberg to discuss troubles with the authority and their plans in regards to Teach. Some of Iceberg's own men are there present at the meeting as well. And Daz is thrown in an awkward position when Crocodile makes up a lie on the spot.

* * *

**A/N: Just 2o more chapters left until this first part is finished! Some chapters may be rather short, though, while others (mostly the last few) will be quite long.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**ManOfManyTales:** Originally, yeah, I was going to have him more _explosive_, as you said, in regards to his reaction, but then I thought I'd just tone it down to the point where he's just not into it that much, or rather, he's distant about the idea.

There is a lot of reasons why I did the genderswap…First, it was always going to be a Crocodile story—I wanted to write one for the longest time, and I eventually figured the maid/master cliché would be fun.

As for the person who I would pair him with, I didn't want to make it one of the popular pairings (those being Doflamingo, Daz, and Robin). I knew right away what I wanted to do with Robin in regards to this story, so that knocks her off the list, and as in regards for the other two, I figured that if somebody really wanted to read a piece with either Doffy or Daz, they could check out the other cool stories on this site by other authors. So then I was left with trying to figure out who I would choose, and I wanted it to be female simply because I wanted to delve into the history of women and their role in society during that time frame (being oppressed, mentally/physically/sexually/etc.) And I also felt having a butler (male pairing) would make the story too kuroshitsuji/black butler-ish.

There aren't many canon identifying females in OP that have interacted with Crocodile (picking a random one might make the story odd, I felt). Vivi would have been too weird, Miss Doublefinger/Valentine/Merry Christmas way out there…So I ended up choosing genderswapped Luffy, and I thought that it would be a cool idea to challenge myself and my writing if I could start Luffy off as this naïve and weak person, and through Crocodile being a dick, would become more confident, quick to fight back, strong-willed person, if that makes sense.

As of now, I think I've grown a lot in what is consider proper and what isn't in terms of genderswapping…I know there are a lot of people that really support it, but there others who find it offensive (and I honestly didn't realize people did take offense to it—I was ignorant then). I'm sort of in an awkward position now because of such—I don't want to upset anybody, but at the same time, again, there are a lot of people (in the trans community mostly speaking) who really don't care, and don't think genderswaps should be taken as offensive…I'm still figuring it out as of now…Besides part two to this story, I don't think I'll write another genderswap piece again…But ah, sorry for the long response—I hope that wasn't annoying! Thank you so much for reading!

**Sellen23:** Ohhhhmygosh that sounds freaking HALRIOUS. Ah, I totally wish I could see that comic, just to see Law's face as he's trying to sneak off, haha. Thank you for reading!

**Killtrafalgarlaw:** The affair with Law will be brought up (or should I say, found out) towards the very end of this first part. I won't say how and what happens when it is found out though; we'll just have to wait and see for that bit. Yes, Robin is going to be increasingly suspicious and all I will say is chapter 40 is the chapter to read if you're waiting for any dramatic tension between Luffy, Robin, and Crocodile. Ohmygosh, Hispanic Novelas are the best like holy shit, just the openings alone are so freaking amazing and dramatic. I can only understand a little bit, but my friends always have one on whenever I visit and I just get so into the shows, haha. Thank you so much for reading!

**VongolaDecima027:** Hahaha, don't worry about not signing in! It's honestly just super nice of you to even leave a review, let alone _read_ this story. Nami and Robin are going to do some mighty sleuthing the upcoming few chapters, or at least Robin will. Law will make his appearance chapter 37. Thank you so much for reading!

**RazzleDazzle: **Hahaha, I feel like I made you total Crocodile trash! I've tainted one of my innocent trash babies x"D Thank you for reading :3

**Anna Ashiqa:** Ahhh thank you so much!

**Statify Fox Atra:** Law and his reaction will make an appearance starting chapter 37! :D Thank you for reading!

**Fro for President:** AH You're honestly too nice to me, haha! Robin is just being protecting of Luffy—she is mamastrawhat after all. And besides, I think she would be the type of person to defend somebody she consider a friend, or at least stop bullies in their tracks. THANK you for reading!

**Starlight555:** There isn't much a doctor could do during that time, other than advise the woman to avoid stress and eat certain foods. I tried to research it as in depth as I could, but I couldn't find anything about taking vitamins or drugs or whatever, and they definitely didn't have ultrasounds then. But yeah, as of now, Luffy is in the okay. Ace, if Luffy allows him to find out, will bust a total fit FOR SURE, haha. Thank you for reading!


	36. Preparations

***About a month has passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command**| Preparations

Dressed in black, the three men came, umbrellas clutched down low as to shield dry scalps from the pouring rain. With numbing fingers, Luffy held the door open for them, narrowing her stare as she watched them cross the driveway. Two of them were unfamiliar, yet the one leading was had a face she could never forget.

_Mayor Iceberg…_

The last she had seen of the man had been at Crocodile and Robin's wedding. While such a meeting happened just a couple of months ago, it felt strangely longer to Luffy—she could only figure it had to be due to everything that had happened since then. _But one thing has remained the same,_ she thought as the men took shelter under the porch heading, _Iceberg, Crocodile, and all the others still plan on taking on Teach…_

Forcing a small smile, she met the Mayor's stare as she took to the side of the door, making way for the guests to enter. "_Welcome_," she greeted softly, eyes quickly glancing over to the two men shuffling to get inside. One had hair black as night with a strange bird upon his shoulder, and the other a nose oddly similar to Usopp's, prompting her to wonder if there was any chance the two were related.

"Ah, there she is," Iceberg replied before handing off his umbrella to the dark haired man behind him. When his arms began to outstretch, Luffy couldn't help but tense up at the gesture, back hitting the hallway wall. As if he were oblivious to her discomfort, the mayor took her in for a tight hug, causing her to exhale lightly and ball up her fists. "The only ray of sunlight in this place," he proceeded to say, plopping her down to the side so he could close the door.

"Is it custom to greet the help as such around here, sir?" the man with the lengthy nose commented, brow cocked up high.

Shrugging, Iceberg went to take off his coat before throwing it over a nearby rack. "Can you blame me for being happy to see a friend?"

The dark haired man sent him a coy stare before heading down the hallway a bit. "You consider everybody a friend," a strange voice said, causing Luffy to cock a brow.

_That voice doesn't really match a man who looks like that_, she wondered as she stared him down.

"Staring is considered rude," the voice continued on, this time leading Luffy to tilt her head when she noticed that the man's lips failed to move. _Is he the one talking…?_

Stepping to her side, Iceberg nudged her forward, sending one dismissive wave towards the dark haired man. "Ignore him," the mayor ordered simply. "Lucci is a strange one—doesn't speak except through that pigeon of his…ventriloquism or whatever it's called…"

Widening her stare, Luffy couldn't help but smile at the sound of that. "I've heard of those before," she replied, pushing past the older man to approach Lucci. With hands clasp together before her chest, she gazed up at the bird. "You speak through the bird?"

Lucci's own face was expressionless—almost as blank as one of Daz's common looks—but the bird seemed alert to Luffy's presence, nodding twice before chirping heftily. "Yes," he answered simply, before gently moving around her to continue his way down the hall. "Is there a fire place running?" the bird asked then, ruffling his feathers as he cocked his head back to look her way.

Blinking, the maid nodded before taking the lead, showing them to the social room already in preparation for their arrival. Zoro had a fire going fifteen minutes prior to their arrival, so the room was rather toasty by that point, and Sanji had laid out a tray of cheese and crackers, with a few bottles of wine aligning the table center to the room.

"Sir Crocodile will see to you shortly," Luffy informed the three, looking directly towards Iceberg as he took a seat upon the couch. All the hours of Tsuru spent hammering in the importance of manners seemed to pay off, with the young maid repeating everything she learned in a timely matter. "In the meanwhile," she continued on, remembering to sound as graceful as possible, "is there anything I can fetch for you?"

"_Ah!_" Iceberg exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat as his hands clasped together between his parted knees. "Listen to how polite this one is! I never get this treatment back at the office. Kalifa is too grumpy most times, never offers to fetch me anything besides work—work, work, work…" Exhaling, he sent an amused stare over to the long nose fellow. "That's all that woman knows."

The long-nosed man shrugged before taking a seat adjacent to the back window, eyes staring through the glass, as if he were searching for something. "Maybe you should hire on a maid or two?"

"Kalifa wouldn't like that," the bird-man replied as he took to leaning against a wall opposite to the window.

Offering another dismissive way, Iceberg said, "She's my secretary, not a maid, therefore I see no harm from hiring on additional help." Pausing, he snapped his fingers once before turning his attention back to Luffy. "How about you?"

"Me?" Luffy replied, confused.

The mayor nodded, smile forming wide upon his face. "Yes, yes," he answered. "How about you come work for me, yes? Quit working for that old bore—I bet you have no fun around here, such a dreadful place…but if you came to work for me, ah, just imagine it!"

Before Luffy had the chance to object, the long nosed man spoke up. "You only want somebody _fun_ around to distract you from all your work—Kalifa would not agree to this."

"She would not," the bird chirped in agreement, prompting the older male to flop back in his seat, hands falling to his sides.

"Why I even decide to bring you two along with me, I'll never know," Iceberg huffed out, clearly defeated in any plans he had of getting Luffy to work for him. With a weak shrug, he nodded towards the liquor bottles place upon the fireplace ledge. "You can fetch me a drink, I suppose," he requested. "Surprise me with something strong."

Nodding once, Luffy went for one of the darker liquors upon the ledge, unsure of which one would be considered the strongest. She had little experience with alcohol, only the few sips of wine here and there under her belt. Wrapping her fingers around the neck of the bottle, she took to pouring a small glass for the mayor before handing it off to him. In silence, she glanced over to the long nose man, eyes locking with his.

"None for me," he spoke before she had the chance to ask.

Half-laughing after taking a sip and wincing, Iceberg quickly blurted out, "I'd take the opportunity to have some, Kaku, this is quite expensive."

"No," Kaku reaffirmed, crossing his arms before returning his attention back out through the window.

With only one person left, Luffy turned towards Lucci before softly asking, "And for you? A drink?"

"Wine," he answered through his little companion, black little eyes glued upon the table center to the room. Quickly enough, Luffy had him a glass poured, offering it to him silently, watching as he took a sip and smirked briefly. "It does taste expensive," he commented, probing stare never leaving Luffy's, causing her to glance away.

Clearing his throat, Iceberg called out for Luffy's attention. "Little maid," he said, loudly so, as if excited. "Come," he added, patting the empty space of couch beside him. "Let us talk—it has been so long since we last did that."

Arching a brow, Luffy went to sit beside him—not too closely, distancing herself about two feet away from him. "Yes?" she questioned, unsure of what exactly he would want to talk to her about.

"Tell me," he began, offering her the warmest of smiles. "What is different with you, hmm?"

Frowning slightly, Luffy glanced down to her hand folded upon her lap before meeting his stare a few moments later. "I don't understand…?" she started, confused as by what he meant.

"Ah, I only meant that you look different—happier maybe?" Pausing, he shook his head _no_. "Perhaps not that, but you _do_ look different…I just can't place my finger on it." Shrugging, he took another drink. "You look as if you're shining," he finally concluded, prompting Luffy to tense up a bit.

Swallowing, she did her best to shrug the comment off. "A good night's sleep, perhaps," she offered.

"_Perhaps_," Iceberg mouthed, smirking afterwards. "But besides appearances, how has life been here, hmm? Any news you wish to share?"

"News?"

Nodding, Iceberg took another sip of his drink, exhaling deeply as his eyes winced. "Any certain guests coming around here? You know, such as Doflamingo…?"

Licking her dry lips, Luffy pieced together his game. _He's fishing for information,_ she figured then, amused that he would come to her. "No," she answered softly—and while it was true, she felt no need at that moment to add any explanation. She had little loyalty to give outside of her family and friends, and that she did have went solely to Crocodile at that point in her life.

As Iceberg went to question her further, a loud voice pierced through the room, leading all inside to turn towards the door. Peeking in through the door frame, Bon Clay exclaimed an _**oh**_ twice more, eyes widening as he entered. "Guests are _here_!" he cried out, glancing back towards the door, as if directing his words to somebody outside. Returning his attention forward, he took to Luffy's side, one foot with toes pointed upward shooting above his head. "_Un, deux, trois_, I didn't mean to leave you alone for so long," he proceeded to add, addressing the maid with a frantic tone. "Are you alright?"

Exhaling lightly, Luffy frowned at how obvious he was making the situation. Crocodile had given Bon Clay the job of watching over her, acting as extra protection solely just for her. While she found the idea of it flattering in a sense, she soon grew tired at how over the top he could get. Every little thing she did seemed to prompt worry from the guard, him constantly asking her if she was alright or even apologizing for not paying enough attention in order to stop her from doing whatever he deemed potentially dangerous. And with him on the verge of throwing another panicked fit, Luffy feared he would make her condition obvious to those unknowing.

"It's okay," Luffy answered, trying her best to ease the guard into a calm state. She could fell all the guests' eyes on her, stirring a blob of anxiety to form deep within her. "I'm _fine_."

"Oh," Bon Clay answered, relief quickly taking over across his face. "That is good to hear—I fear for you so much now, especially considering…" With words trailing off, the emotional man stood there with lips ajar, eyes slowly glancing over to the mayor. Realization struck him then, lips clamping shut quickly enough, foot falling down as so he could stand up straight.

"Well," Iceberg commented, eyes slightly widened, "continue on! You were putting on quite the show—don't stop for us."

As his chest rose from a deep inhale, Bon Clay sent Luffy another panicked stare, as if looking to her for assistance.

Rolling her eyes briefly, Luffy made means to fake a cough into her hands, sniffing afterwards and earning Iceberg's full attention. "I've been feeling ill, that's all," she revealed before arising.

"Oh," the mayor mouthed quietly, as if not entirely buying her answer. "Well...that is a shame," he concluded, placing his glass down upon the table before slumping against the back of the couch. "You should get some rest then—you don't want that growing into anything serious."

Entering the room—and causing Luffy to mentally question how long he had been there—Crocodile dully objected, "She'll survive." Daz followed after him, eyes hard on Bon Clay as he took to the back of the room. "But I didn't invite you here to hound my maid," he added, eyes flicking to Luffy briefly—enough time to give her the cue to make her way towards the back of the room. When she did as such, Crocodile took to the couch opposite to that of Iceberg's, hand reaching into his vest pocket to pull out a watch. "You're late."

Huffing, Iceberg motioned to the window. "If you couldn't tell, it's _**pouring**_ out there—what do you expect from me, hmm?"

"To be on time," Crocodile simply answered, returning his watch to his pocket. He turned his attention towards Kaku first, before glancing over to Lucci, and finally to Luffy standing closest to him. "I know you're such a _busy_ man," he continued on before returning his attention back to the mayor, "but I'm sure you can do better to arrive when expected."

"Fine, fine," Iceberg agreed dully, "I'll make sure to do better next time." Throwing his arm across the top of the couch, he smirked. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't invite me all the way down here to _sweet_ talk me—let's start this, I have a lot to do today."

"It's happening within the next half year," Crocodile began, reaching out for the wine bottle to inspect it. His eyes searched the label as he continued. "Doflamingo claims he'll be ready in at least two months from now. Hancock says she's ready to start whenever we are."

Nodding, Iceberg couldn't help but smile. "This is all so exciting…and you, you're ready?"

"Pretty much," Crocodile responded before leaning forward to pour his own glass of wine. "I've only need to make a few more arrangements, but I need reassurance that you're still prepared to aid us."

Frowning slightly, Iceberg laughed weakly. "You know I've been ready to assist since you first came to me with this plan of yours—why would you think otherwise?"

The older male sent him a sly smirk. "You more than anybody in this room should understand my issues with trust."

"Fair enough," the mayor agreed, body relaxing. "But yes—do not worry; I'm still here to support you when you take Teach on. I only request that you give me at least a month warning in advance from the exact date, so that I can finalize my own preparations."

Crocodile nodded once before taking a sip of his drink. For a moment, all remained silent except for the rain pouring outside. Placing his glass down, he tilted his head before speaking. "I would like to address that I've been experiencing problems with the authority."

Stiffing, Iceberg offered him a searching stare. "_Local_ authority?"

"I wouldn't know," Crocodile answered, eyes never leaving his. "I would hope that _that_ wouldn't be the case, what with you claiming an alliance with me…"

"Of course," the mayor quickly cut in. "No, they—the authority you speak of—they shouldn't be men who work in this city, or else I would have been made notice. What difficulties have you been experiencing?"

"Trespassing upon my property, snooping around, assaulting my servants…" Crocodile listed off, which in turn caused Iceberg to frown. "Would you have any ideas as to why these men have found me all of a sudden? If I remember correctly, I'm to have been granted protection from you by living in this city…?"

"Listen," Iceberg began, tone growing stern. "I don't know how these guys found you, but they are not from my jurisdiction. I'm not trying to pull a fast one on you, if that's what you're implying. You do realize how much I gain to lose from doing as such, yes?"

Leaning back in his seat, Crocodile nodded once as he took a moment to think.

"But since you brought it up," Iceberg added, earning Crocodile's full attention, "I too have been experiencing odd inquires by upper governmental positions."

"Is that so?"

The mayor nodded, legs crossing. "They've been requesting old paperwork and such…looking into my past. I tried to derail them the best of my abilities, and it seemed to have work, but since you're now having troubles…" Shrugging, he exhaled and motioned to his men. "I'll have them look into the matter more, and if they find anything, I'll relay the information to you."

"So be it," Crocodile agreed, seemingly pleased enough by Iceberg's answer. "I would hate to relocate—but if I must, I will. In the meantime, I suggest we meet with Doflamingo and Hancock within the next month or so—it is best that we are all present to finalize the last stages of the plan."

"Yes," Iceberg agreed before turning his attention to Luffy. "Be a dear and refill my drink, yes?" he asked, causing her to snap out of her trance and nod. Taking to his side, she poured the dark liquor into his glass, blinking when she caught the man staring at her oddly. "Isn't it a curious thing, hmm?"

Uninterested, Crocodile dully questioned, "What is?"

"Your maid," Iceberg answered, causing Crocodile to perk up. "Such innocence…she represents the good people of this city, unknowing of the true dangers that lie within…" He smiled then, eyes leaving Crocodile to search Luffy's face. "What do you think when you hear us old men talking like this, hmm? You're different from these guards—you're not paid to deal with such cruelties, so how does it feel to be involved as much as you are?"

"I…" Luffy began, words falling silent, unsure of how to answer all his questions.

"Stop pestering her with such questions," Crocodile firmly cut in. "Perhaps you shouldn't drink anymore—you're making my servants uncomfortable."

Iceberg laughed at that, dismissively waving once as he stared up at Luffy's face. "Dear child, you truly look different—what _is_ it?"

As Crocodile continued on with his orders of Iceberg shutting it, Luffy found herself touching her stomach on instinct, terrified if it were that obvious. While she was only a few months in at most, she feared that she had already begun to show. She, herself, had a hard time spotting it while looking in the mirror, but there was a bump—a small one barely visible, but still a curve to her abdomen nonetheless.

He must have caught her because after doing as such, Iceberg's face lite up, eyes falling to her waist. "Are you…?" he began, excitement growing in his voice.

Widening her stare, Luffy couldn't help but mouth a weak _yes_, while opposite of the room, Crocodile was answering with a firm _**no**__._

Blinking, the mayor glanced over to Crocodile before looking back at Luffy. "This is…" Sitting straight up, Iceberg clasped his hands together. "Wonderful! Ah, I love children—almost as much as I love my little pet mouse!" With that being said, he took to wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in so he could rest his ear upon her lower abdomen. "This is such amazing news," he softly added with a slur.

Gasping, Bon Clay was to Luffy's side, hands on top Iceberg's skull as he tried to pry the drunk man off the maid. "Stop assaulting her!" he cried out, dramatically so.

"You're being really weird there, boss," Kaku called out from the back of the room, causing the mayor to pull his head away from Luffy's tummy.

"I'm just so _happy_," he commented, voice a bit shaky, as if on the verge of crying. "Whenever I hear that somebody in this city is with child, I can't help but feel that I'm a part of it."

"Let go of her," Crocodile ordered, already standing up and face sporting a hard stare. "How dare you attack _my_ maid as such?"

Arising from his seat, Kaku took to the back of the couch, clearly ready to interact if things went too far. "You're growing increasingly weird, I must say."

"I'm the mayor of this city!" Iceberg objected loudly, words starting to slur heavily. "And I must welcome all future children with open arms—this is a good city, a safe one!"

Shaking his head, Kaku leaned over the couch to tug on the man's shoulders, ripping him fully away from Luffy. "You're making zero sense, and I'm afraid you've had enough to drink."

"_Wait_!" Iceberg exclaimed, causing Kaku to halt. Straightening himself up, the mayor looked to Luffy, expression firm. "You are a young lady," he started, one finger pointed at her. "And I can only assume you are lacking a parental role in your life—therefore, I will act as such, for you, my friend."

Shaking his head, Crocodile took a step forward. "You will _**not**_," he started, falling silent when Iceberg began to speak again.

"Who was it, my poor dear?" Iceberg question as he stood up, shaking off Kaku's hand. "I'll teach that _boy_ who did this to you a lesson!"

"_Lucci_," Kaku called out as he took ahold of the mayor's forearm. "Can you help instead of just standing there drinking?" Huffing, he tugged Iceberg back. "You're truly going overboard now, boss—leave such tasks to her own father to deal with."

"_I am her father!_" Iceberg objected, causing Luffy to back up against Bon Clay, panic growing upon her face. "As long as I'm the mayor, I'm a father to all!" he added, stumbling forward and falling to his side on the couch.

Pushing his way through so that he stood between Luffy and Iceberg, Crocodile pointed one finger down towards the drunken man. "You're worse than Doflamingo," he declared, frustrated tone laced with anger. "You have no right acting like this in my home."

Wincing, Iceberg began to rub his face, huffing all the while. "You wouldn't understand…you…you're not a father like me, you have no idea what it feels like!"

Throwing his arms up, Crocodile groaned and finally declared, "You've caught whatever foul disease that bird Doflamingo has, haven't you?"

Glancing up at Luffy, Iceberg softened his features. "Who is the father? I'll make sure the wrath of hell falls upon him."

Swallowing, Luffy made means to respond, but stopped when her employer answered for her. "Daz," he blurted out, and the moment he did as such, the situation only seemed to grow worse.

To her side, Bon Clay fell, words of objection and pity and utter sadness pouring from his lips. From the corner of her eye, she could see Daz hunched over, eyes wide as he clearly was trying to control his breathing. His lips rapidly moved to mouth silent _no's_, over and over again, to match the whimpered cries of Mr. Two.

"They've been having this affair since the start," Crocodile explained, trying to control the situation to a point where it became calm. "Since they are both of value to me, I decided allowing them to stay under my employment, even after discovering about her pregnancy—my gift to them for their loyal service."

"I see," Iceberg answered with a single nod, sitting back down.

"I can't possibly throw them out now," he continued on, body slightly relaxing when the mayor had seemed to calm himself. "This is an issue that truly only involves them two and none of _us,_ so you must understand the resistance of revealing such information to you."

Nodding, Iceberg turned to glance towards Daz. "I meant no harm, my son," he said, earning a weak stare from the driver. "You look so ill now…all because of me!" Covering his face with his hands, he exhaled loudly. "I just get so damn passionate!"

Kaku placed his hand back upon his shoulder, prompting him to peek out through his fingers. "No, sir," he started softly. "You're just drunk."

"Get off your ass right this moment and take her away from here," Crocodile quietly ordered Bon Clay while Iceberg's attention was on something else. "Get her away from this fool, _**now**_."

Eager to leave, Luffy wasted no time on waiting for Mr. Two to arise from his fallen state. She quickly turned, making her way around the crowd, towards Lucci's direction. As she passed the silent man, something shot out in front of her feet, causing her to gasp out and fall down to her knees.

With half of the room still occupied with calming down Iceberg, the other half was focused on Luffy, with only one making means to approach her. "What _**happened**_?" Crocodile questioned, tone deep with concern. Standing before the two, his eyes were hard on them as Lucci was knelt beside the maid.

"She fell," Lucci spoke through his bird, hand on Luffy's back as she sat up. He offered her support as she got back up, knees sore from the impact. Leaning into the man, she shook her head, trying to clear her dizzy thoughts.

Crocodile soon had her arm within his grasp, firm at first, but gentle soon after. "Are you alright?" he questioned, voice hard to hear with the commotion still going on between the other four men, oblivious to Luffy's short fall. His palm was on the front of her waist, eyes falling down to examine for any damage. "Is it…?"

"I'm okay," Luffy answered softly, pulling his hand off her when she caught Lucci staring. "I…" Glancing to her feet, she looked for whatever could have tripped her, failing to find anything out of place. "I tripped."

Expression strained at first from her action, Crocodile soon figured out her concerns with Lucci, hiding any emotion he had let slip out from the incident. "You are dismissed from your chores," he stated, firmly so as he straightened his posture. "Go rest."

"I can help her to her room," Lucci's bird commented when Luffy began to make her way away from the two. "I wouldn't want her to fall over again."

Crocodile gave one mute nod before meeting Luffy's stare and then turning towards the direction of the other four.

In silence she left the room, the sound of soft footsteps as the dark haired man followed after her. After a good ways down the hallway, she paused and turned towards. "You don't need to do this—I can handle myself."

Lucci shrugged, offering her the thinnest of smirks. "I needed to get you alone, though," he objected without the aid of his bird, leading her to tense up. His voice was hard, a polar opposite to his cute little bird. "Don't panic—I mean you no harm. I just wanted to ask you a question, or two."

Lowering her brows, she flexed her right hand into a fist to the side of her hip. "What?"

"That baby…it isn't Daz's." His tone was blunt, expression strangely harder than before. "I mean, it's obvious it isn't his."

Swallowing, she narrowed her stare, keeping quiet. _What is he trying to get at…?_

"When you _fell_ over just now," Lucci continued on, "wouldn't the father of your child notice, hmm? That dull looking brute of a man didn't even bat an eye over what happened. It's rather interesting, really, to see that the only person besides me who reacted was your employer."

Luffy couldn't help but widen her stare. _He…he knows…_

Smiling, Lucci motioned off to the social room. "It's dangerous to get so involved with such people," he added, tone growing in excitement. "I can only imagine what foul things enemies of that man would want to do to you if they learnt of such information."

Taking a step back, Luffy found herself pressing against the wall of the hallway, body flinching when Lucci reached one hand out to stroke back a strand of her bangs from her eyes. "It's a good thing we're not enemies then," he softly added, fingers lingering too long for comfort. "But—and I don't have any fears of this happening—if anything were to happen to the mayor, or if Crocodile were to betray him in any way, I will go after you…" His hand fell to her stomach, eyes eerily shinning as he glanced down. "And we wouldn't want anything bad happening to the little one, now do we?" With his hand flat on her stomach, he finished with, "Be a good girl and keep Crocodile in check, and we won't have any problems."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** A meeting with Iceberg, Hancock, and Doflamingo leads Luffy to face her first interaction with Law in many weeks. He is quick to notice certain changes and a heated argument arises between the two.

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

**Guest:** Eh, I don't know if you would consider them a major time skip, but any time skips I do write in are either four weeks or less. Don't worry, I have everything worked in to a point where it makes sense in regards to the timeline. But the only major time skip that I will do, and it isn't really that long, is between the ending of part one of this story, and the start of part two. Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Ah, well it's nice that you take the time to read and ask really important questions and make really good comments. She's going to get ten times more suspicious within the next few chapters, but I won't make any comments on what her reaction will be like. Thanks for reading!

**RazzleDazzle: ahhhhhhhhh** *hugs* you know all the right things to say to me :'D Thank you for reading my darling trash baby!

**Sellen23:** Ahh! Thank you so much!

**CosmosAngel:** Ahh, thanks for your insight :3 I know there is a ton of Luffy genderswapping, and honestly, I just get scared of offending people, because that is the very last thing I would ever want to do. And I will continue/finish this story—I've already started/gotten so far into it, no point in stopping it now. Thanks for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Haha, Daz is just a silent observer who is like "I need a vacation from all this drama, pls &amp; thank." As of now, I have Shanks making his reappearance at the end of part one, but he'll be heavily involved in part two. AND YES, Buggy is going to make his appearance again soon. :D Thanks for reading!

**Zeyneo:** Aw, thank you so much! Dragon will make an appearance, alongside Shanks at the end of part one. He has his own thing going on that sort of involves the drug lords &amp; government…but that will all be revealed final chapter of part one. Ahhh! It's always so cool to see how many people ship Luffy &amp; Crocodile and how many ship Luffy &amp; Law! Thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight555:** Haha, I tried to make him come off as bipolar like he is in the manga, where he's all happy one moment, and then making strained comments the next. Detective Robin is about to land a huge clue soon enough :D Law's reaction is going to be…you'll find out next chapter haha. Thanks for reading!


	37. Confrontation

***About two weeks have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Confrontation

With the coming of autumn came the death of summer, a blanket of light snowfall crunching beneath the wheels of the sleek automobile. Traveling to a distant city across the state had exposed them to colder temperatures, the first signs of a frigid year's end upon them. With her nose pressed against the foggy glass, Luffy stared out in silence as the car came to a sharp stop, body pressing forward against the back seat.

Before them sat a nest of familiar buildings, lights from inside illuminating the ever growing dark skies outside. She had visited the brothel months prior, the scenes of men stringing in and out slowly coming to her memory. Strangely enough, however, there seemed to be a lack of people about, with only one other car parked along the street. _It's as if the people of this town heard of this meeting and all fled_, Luffy thought curiously as she sat back down upon her seat, eyes slowly gazing over to the small window separating her from the drivers.

The small piece of glass slid open, a pair of wide eyes peeping through. "We're here!" Bon Clay announced from the passenger's seat, body going stiff as a hand took to shoving him aside.

Daz appeared before the gap, expression strained, as if disgusted for having to touch Mr. Two. "We've arrived," he said calmly, eyes dead on Crocodile. With a single nod from their employer, the driver quickly closed the gap off, but the sounds of Mr. Two snarling harsh curses at him still seemed to seep through to the back section of the car.

Shifting in his seat, Crocodile went to open the door, hand pausing just above the handle. Turning Luffy's way, he glanced down at her attire, eyes giving her a once over. "Put on your gloves—it's cold out there."

Blinking, Luffy nodded twice, smiling weakly as her gaze fell to her lap. She slipped her hands into the fur-lined pocket of her coat—a gift from Crocodile just the day prior. It was soft, to say the least, and did the job at keeping her toasty warm _as_ _well_ as hiding any evidence of her pregnancy from those unknowing. She quickly tugged on the gloves and offered him an easy expression, thankful for his reminder.

Exhaling, Crocodile gave a nod of approval. "Make sure to keep by my side," he started before opening the car door, cold air seeping in, hungry to devour the warmth of the automobile. "And _please_ try not to encourage any of Doflamingo's idiotic antics," he added sternly as he got out, hand reaching up to fix his scarf.

Luffy hopped out of the car quick enough, shoes sinking into the light layer of snow and causing her feet to grow cold. "I'll try my best," she agreed after huffing and slipping her hands under her arms for warmth.

"I suggest you try harder than that," Crocodile objected, expression amused as he closed the door behind her. Pressing her to the side of the car, he gently traced his cold fingers up her cheek before brushing part of her hair free from any snowflakes. "If you get tired, you can always go wait up in the room for me," he said.

Startled at his newfound kind attitude, Luffy shook her head lightly _no._ "I'll be fine," she said before pressing her gloved hand upon his naked one. It puzzled her at how differently he acted once they left the mansion, showing more signs of caring, acting in a gentle manner around her—he was a polar opposite of the man back at his home, and it would be a lie if she said she didn't like it.

Pulling away, Crocodile turned towards the brothel before offering her a bleak look. "Let's get this over with," he commented as he started forward, leaving Daz and Bon Clay to carry in the luggage.

Trailing after him, Luffy glanced down the road, taking in the one other car besides Crocodile's. It was familiar, prompting her to squint and then inhale upon realization. Stopping mid-way up the sidewalk, the maid stared at such a car, frowning as she remember Crocodile's guest just a couple of weeks ago.

_Iceberg._

While the man himself wasn't worrisome for Luffy, it was his guard known as Lucci that was. He had invaded her personal space with ease, laying his hand upon his abdomen while offering her a cruel smile and an even crueler threat. She had failed to forward his words to Crocodile, in fear of what would happen after doing as such, but she in no way had her guard down.

_I need to be weary around that man_, Luffy reminded herself. _He's not to be trusted…_

"You'll catch a cold if you just stand out here like that!" Bon Clay sang as he took to Luffy's side, prompting her to half-jump up. "Oh!" he continued on, tone growing weak. "I didn't mean to startle you! My apologizes!" Spinning around so that he was facing her, he offered her the softest of apologetic expressions.

"It's alright," she responded, sending him a thin smile. Sniffing, she decided to take his words of advice and continue after Crocodile, with the guard happily following after her.

"I should get a raise after this," Mr. Two muttered, more to himself than to Luffy. "That idiot over _there_ is supposed to be the _pretend_ father and he isn't even tending to you like I am," he dramatically whimpered.

"Don't talk about me," Daz shot out, four or five feet behind them.

Reaching the gate to the brothel, Luffy glanced back at the guards, taking in the familiar scene of Bon Clay growing stiff in his posture and Daz's stare throwing daggers in return. "You two shouldn't fight," she suggested. She always figured that a good argument here and there was normal, but those two seemed to go at it night and day.

"You're upsetting her!" Bon Clay cried out as he gestured to Luffy. Dropping his share of the luggage, he made a fighting pose, expression hard. "As her personal guard, it is my duty to eliminate all potential threats to her wellbeing—physical _or _mental."

Exhaling, Daz shook his head, clearly annoyed by that point. "You're an idiot if you think you could take me on," he retorted, stilling holding onto his share of the luggage. "But if you want to go here and now, then so be it."

Rolling her eyes, Luffy decided to continue on ahead of them. There was no point in staying to watch—the two would duke it out only to end in a tie of some sorts, and most of the time it was just them throwing snappy comments back and forth.

Upon entering the brothel, she was greeted with the warmth and smell of a fireplace, crackling loudly from a nearby room. Assuming it was located in the casino portion of the building, she headed that way, straying from Crocodile's path as he continued on to the meeting room.

Sniffing, she smiled when she caught sight of the fire, orange and yellow flickers fighting back the darkness. She quickly took to the front of it, reaching her hands out to soak in the warmth.

"It feels nice, doesn't it?"

Stiffing to the sudden question, Luffy cocked her head to the side to find somebody standing beside her, his own hands reaching out for the flames. Frowning slightly, she inhaled and took a step aside, allowing her to fully take in Lucci's frame. His little feathered companion cooed out as he jumped from his shoulder to the ledge of the fire place, offering Luffy a beady stare.

Tilting his head, Lucci offered her a faint smile. "You look startled," he observed softly before returning his attention to the fireplace. "Are you not happy to see me?"

Huffing, Luffy quickly shook her head _no_, angry that he would even approach her as such. "Stay away from me," she firmly ordered him.

"Ouch," Lucci retorted as he winced, as if truly hurt by her comment. Half-laughing afterwards, he shrugged and began to rub his hands together before the fire. "I really can't do that," he admitted, prompting her to tense up. "You see, after our little chat two weeks ago, I had a strange feeling in my gut, as if I should look into you and your past, and well…" Pausing, he glanced her way, and smiled once more. "I've found some rather interesting facts about you—or rather, your family."

Luffy widened her stare slightly, heartrate picking up as she grew alarmed. "What are you talking about?" she questioned, keeping her tone as calm as possible as not to give her worries away. _Could he have found out anything about Ace…?_

"Don't play dumb with me," he said as he turned to glance about the room. After a few seconds, he nodded and went for a nearby sofa alongside a window. Sitting down, he looked to Luffy before patting the empty space beside him. "You should sit, especially in your state."

Lowering her brows, Luffy rejected his offer, but took to standing before him a few feet away. "I can stand," she informed him, arms quickly crossing over her chest.

Shrugging, he muttered out, "So be it," before slumping back in his seat. "It was hard, at first, to find out where you came from and who exactly you are," he started, voice calm, as if telling a story to a child. "But after a few ideas, and handful of leads, I found myself confronting a rather strange looking man—some clown of some sorts." Smirking, he closed his eyes. "It wasn't difficult to fish information out of him—after a few threats and _maybe_ a punch here and there, he was more than willing to talk all about you."

"You…" Luffy started, angry at the revelation of finding out Lucci had harmed Buggy. "How dare you?" she finally spat out, fingers flexing to form small little fists.

Opening his eyes, he offered her a hard expression. "I'm _not_ finished talking," he informed her coldly. "He told me all about your brother, and how you came to live in that city to help with financial problems. From there, I was given his name—Ace—and I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper." He took a moment to yawn, eyes trailing over to the right when his pet bird flew to rest upon the armrest of the sofa. "Seems your brother got into a bad case of debt with a rather dangerous man, hmm?"

Chewing on her inner cheek, Luffy answered him with only a wide-eyed stare. She was completely taken aback that he was able to dig up so much, and a deep fear began to form in her gut as she began to worry about exactly _how_ much he had found out.

"_Teach_," Lucci continued, letting the name roll off his tongue slowly. "And believe me when I say this, _**I**_ was surprised at discovering that out. To think, the same man that all of the people here today want to take down, and your brother is working off a debt for him—ah, but the plot thickens, doesn't it?"

Sitting up, he folded his hands together and hung them between his knees. "Not only is he aiding Teach, but he's also in an alliance of some sorts with another mob lord, right?" As Luffy made an attempt to deny him, he continued on. "Edward Newgate—otherwise known as Whitebeard."

"How…how did you find all of this out?" Luffy questioned quickly, the words falling from her lips desperately.

"It's my job," he softly answered with a warm expression. "I'm not like the others—I don't half-ass things. I make it my soul mission to do an in depth investigation when I'm planning to extort somebody."

"_Extort_…?"

Raising his hand to silence her, he amusedly answered, "We'll get there in a moment—let me finish my report. Now, I can only assume that you came to work for Crocodile in aid of your brother, perhaps trying to fish out information for him so he could feed it back to either Teach or Newgate—or even both. That really doesn't concern me, but after finding out about _all_ of this, it doesn't _**compare**_ to what I discovered next." Swallowing, he took a moment to calm his breathing, clearly growing excited. "Your father…"

"No," Luffy snapped out, cutting him off. "I…"

"You what?" Lucci questioned, cocking a thin brow. "Are you going to try and deny everything he's done—or rather, what he currently is doing?" Shaking his head, he arose to stand before her, prompting her to scoot back a foot or so. "I'll admit—I originally was planning on focusing all of my attention on Crocodile's wife, but after I pieced together that you were carrying his child…" Smiling, he went to crack his knuckles. "You are my key to becoming a richer man."

"What do you want?" she asked weakly, defeated by his mention of her father. Ace and his problems was one thing, but her father was on a whole other level of trouble when compared to her brother. "Is it money…? I don't have any."

"You don't, but Crocodile does," Lucci objected. "He's loaded, don't say he isn't. I know he has to have some cash lying around that massive mansion—and even if not, there is value in the artwork and decorations."

Lowering her brows, Luffy glanced away briefly. "You want me to sneak you his artwork…?"

Rolling his eyes, Lucci objected with, "I want you to first find any cash, and then go after the artwork and such after. You get me a good sum of money, and my lips are sealed in regards to your family."

"You're a jerk," she muttered, expression growing hard as she met his stare.

Smirking, he rejected the comment. "I'm an opportunist. Working for Iceberg has its perks, but I'd be damned if I didn't take this chance to become a happy and _rich_ man." After all was said and done, he reached out for her cheek, only to be met with Luffy smacking it away from her. "You've learned," he observed, hand falling to his side. After a moment, he pushed past her before adding, "I hope you understand that not only do I have this information over you, but I also have no problems in getting physical when it comes to getting what I want. I'll visit you again soon."

With soft footsteps and the little bird flying overhead, Lucci made his leave, prompting Luffy to slink down to the couch and fall back. Air blew past her lips, eyes falling shut as she tried to mentally calm herself. _It is one thing after the other,_ she thought. _Not only do I have to worry about Ace and this…this baby, but now I have father to think about…_Shaking her head, she sat up and opened her eyes. _No…don't waste your energy on him—only focus on those who matter the most in your life._

_But…_

Could she really steal from Crocodile's wealth? She had done other shady activities in order to protect her brother, but it had been weeks—even months—since last doing as such. And it was always directly to Ace…

_Except for that time I let everything slip to Law…_

Covering her face with her hands, she leaned forward to rest her elbows upon her knees. _This world is full of people like them—users and liars and crooks. But…but I'm just like them. I've lied, I've used, and yes, maybe I even am a crook…_

Getting up, she went to rub under her eyes. _I just shouldn't think about this right now._ She pressed forward and out of the casino, figuring that if she returned to Crocodile's side, she would feel the safest.

As she neared the staircase that lead to the upper levels, Luffy was halted by the shrill and delightful scream of one Boa Hancock. "Luffy!" the older woman cried out from atop the stairs, prompting the young maid to glance up, expression bleak. She had dawn on some strange silky dress, cleavage bare and nape naked. "My dearest Luffy," Hancock heavily breathed out as she scurried down the stairs silently, as if light as a feather.

Trying to pull back, Luffy was greeted with a tight hug. Her face met the top of the woman's breasts, strangely warm for it being so chilly out.

"_Luffy, Luffy, Luffy, Luffy!_" Hancock sang as she swung Luffy right and left in the hug. Removing her arms from around her, Hancock offered Luffy the warmest of smiles. "I've missed you so much." Tears seemed to well up in the corners of her eyes, cheeks burning with a dark pink. "And I've thought of you every day since last seeing you."

Exhaling, Luffy offered the flustered woman a weak nod. "That's…nice," she commented before squirming fully away from Hancock. Her gaze fell down the woman's figure, taking in the gown now that it was so close to her. "That is a…interesting outfit," Luffy offered before meeting Hancock's stare.

"You think?" the older woman practically cried out, hands shooting up to cup her own cheeks. "_You shouldn't say such sweet things to me~_" she added with a little shake of her hips and a squint of her eyes. "But this…I just threw this old thing on!"

Nodding, Luffy made means to continue on to the meeting room, but was stopped as Hancock took ahold of her forearm.

"Would you say I am the most beautiful?" Hancock questioned softly—voice a whisper and brows furrowed.

Frowning slightly, Luffy shrugged. "Oh…I wouldn't know…" she answered, prompting the woman to squeal out and fall to her knees.

"You speak so cruelly to me," she cried, hands hiding her face. "Yet I know it is because you love me and are only playing hard to get!"

"No," Luffy objected with a firm shake of her head. "That isn't it at all."

Reaching out for Luffy's hands, she drew the maid down to her knees. "And I love you as well," she admitted, clearly ignoring Luffy's last comment. "We were meant for each other—_I your mistress, you my cute little pet~_"

"Oh, no," Luffy tried to object, weakly so. "I…I have to go now…" With words falling short, she grew mute as soon as Hancock took both of her cheeks in her warm hands, drawing her face towards hers.

"We could…" Hancock whispered, breath hot of Luffy's face. "Right now…?"

Heavy breathing could be heard nearby, but all Luffy could really focus on was the advancing pair of lips. Inhaling, she pressed both of her hands to Hancock's shoulders, pushing the woman far enough so she could attempt to wiggle free; however, as soon as she glanced to her right, she found a pair of sunglasses glaring her way.

"Don't stop," Doflamingo muttered between heavy breaths, knelt down to their level.

Widening her stare, Luffy whimpered out in surprise, prompting Hancock to glance said way, which only lead her to scream out in horror.

"_**YOU!**_" the older woman yelled, releasing Luffy to point one slender finger towards the direction of the curious blonde. "How _**dare**_ you sneak up upon me and my darling like that?"

With enough distance between them, Luffy scooted back to freedom, eyes glued upon the arguing duo.

"Hancock, babe," Doflamingo tried to explain, hands lifting in a half-shrug. "Can you really blame me?"

Getting up, Hancock jabbed her finger at the man's face before bending over backwards. "You are a disgusting man and I have no patience to deal with the likes of you!"

Shaking his hand, Doflamingo arose and smirked. "You know, whenever you make that pose, I get a really good peak at the girls?" Laughing, he moved quickly over when Hancock made an attempt to strike him down with her foot.

"You are _disgusting_," Hancock repeated, expression hard and cruel and opposite to the flustered mess she was only moments prior.

Huffing, Doflamingo nodded twice. "I know," he agreed. "And I've never denied that about myself! See, I can come to terms with my issues, but you…you gotta sneak around with a little maid in order to express yourself sexually, when in truth, you could have just come to me!"

Hancock made a startled gasp, as if truly offended by his words. "How dare you suggest that I ever do such an intimate act with a man like you?" Shaking her head, she turned to glance down at Luffy, a look of hurt taking over her expression. "My poor pet!" she whimpered out, reaching out to tug the maid upwards. "This terrible man has frightened you so!"

Frowning, Doflamingo took Luffy by the arm to pull her away from Hancock, leading the woman to look with a horrid expression ten times worse than Luffy had ever seen before. "Stop drooling all over this one," the blonde started after he had her standing behind him. "She's practically one of my baby birds by this point."

"_What does that even mean?_" Hancock snarled back as she tried to reach out for Luffy once more, only to be met with Doflamingo's hand upon her arm. "DON'T!" she screamed, pulling her hand away and proceeding to wipe her skin with the sleeve of her dress.

"Hancock, there are things that you clearly don't understand yet, with the most important being that I can do good for your body, just ask anybody else I've been with." Smirking, he started to lift his fingers one by one. "Each one will say I was the best lay of their life—trust me."

Blinking, Luffy took her chance to turn and scurry off. She had no desires to linger around to see how their conversation ended, and she feared that with the arrival of Doflamingo only meant the arrival of Law, somebody she wasn't ready to confront just yet.

Unfortunately, said doctor-in-training wasn't too far off. She found him nearing the scene, alongside a tall blonde male, somebody she remembered to be as Corazon. Swallowing, Luffy was met with Law's wide-eyed stare, a look of pleased surprise developing upon his face. As he began to mouth out her name in greeting, Luffy quickly turned back around, figuring that she'd rather just barge right through the mess that was Hancock and Doflamingo than deal with Law.

And so she did, quickly squeezing past the two and making her way down towards the meeting room. She could hear Law's voice grow weak as he called out her name only once, clearly confused by her action. A moment later, she could hear Doflamingo laughing.

"You're _special_ friend must be mad at you!" he had said, words growing fainted the farther Luffy distanced herself from them. "Couldn't get it up or…? _Fufufufufufu_…ouch! Don't hit me, Rosinante!"

Finally finding her way to the meeting room, Luffy was alarmed at the rather long table inside, covered with empty plates, glasses, and shiny silverware. She spotted Crocodile towards the back, already situated at the table, alongside both Daz and Bon Clay. To the opposite of him, sat Iceberg, Kaku, Lucci, and a woman she had never seen before.

Blinking, she took to the back of the room, eyeing the empty chair beside her employer. When he looked up her way, he motioned to it, prompting her to sit down.

"Where have you been?" Crocodile questioned, tone stern and suspicious.

Pouting slightly, she folded her hands together over her lap to generate some warmth. "I got distracted along the way," she answered, glancing up to meet his stare. "Doflamingo just arrive, though," she added, causing him to exhale dully.

"Oh," Iceberg commented, clearly not ashamed to have been eavesdropping on their conversation. "I will need a strong drink then."

"Sir, I would not recommend you do that," Kaku objected as the woman beside him sent a hard glare towards the mayor. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

"No," Crocodile agreed, reaching out for Iceberg's empty wineglass and placing it across the table. "I barely have the patience for Doflamingo—I don't need you acting a fool again."

Sending him a dismissive wave, Iceberg slumped back in his seat before amusedly saying, "I truly have no recollection of this event. Exactly, what did I supposedly do?"

"You practically assaulted my servant and declared yourself to be her father, for _starters_," Crocodile began before shaking his head and leaning back in his seat. "Not to mention the damage placed upon my furniture during your little frantic fit."

Laughing, Iceberg cocked a brow. "I did all of that? It's too funny for me to believe."

"It's true, boss," Kaku dully added, prompting the mayor to frown slightly. "You were rather deranged in a sense—very frightening."

"It was more hilarious than anything, _coo-coo_!" Lucci's pigeon cried out as he hopped from shoulder to table top.

Grimacing, Crocodile said, "You shouldn't bring pets to the dinner table—it's disgusting."

Meeting his stare, Lucci blinked once before motioning for his bird to return to his shoulder. "It's also disgusting to wear such ugly vests, _coo-coo_!" the pigeon retorted, prompting Crocodile to stiffen in his seat.

"This vest is worth more than your entire outfit put together," the older male shot back, tone laced with frustration and clearly giving away to how insulted he was by the comment.

Lifting his hand, Iceberg made means to silence the two. "Stop it, _both_ of you. We're here to make alliances, not bicker and fight."

Huffing, Crocodile ended his share of the argument by turning his attention towards the door, eyes narrowing as people entered.

"You sit over _there_," Hancock spat as she took to her seat directly across from Luffy, eyes hard as she glared at the tall flamingo man.

"Ah," Doflamingo objected, sticking his tongue out in distress. "This seating arrangement is just _terrible_! Who thought it was a good idea to sit me next to this long-nosed weirdo?"

"Rude," Kaku muttered, shifting in his seat when the mess of pink feathers plopped down beside him. Following suit was Corazon and Law, finishing the full circle of the table.

"The farther away you are from me, the better," Iceberg commented dully as he gave Doflamingo a once over. "But more importantly—Hancock, where is the food and drinks?"

"It's coming!" she snapped out, tone heavily frustrated. Quickly enough, though, she became that high spirited girl in love when she glanced over to Luffy, fingers reaching out to touch her own cheek. "_I made a special cake just for Luffy~_"

Exhaling lightly, Crocodile ignored the comment, leaning forward as he motioned at the group of people around him. "Our main focus isn't when the food will be ready to serve," he reminded them sternly. "We need to finalize the last stages of the plan _tonight._"

"Uh," Doflamingo started, flopping back in his seat to stretch his legs out, "you might be able to plot evil things on an empty stomach, but I can't. I'm a _big_ boy who needs food in him to work."

Rolling his eyes, Iceberg pointed two fingers in the blonde's direction. "Oh, shut the hell up," he requested. "I didn't drive all the way out here to hear you squawk about yourself."

Doflamingo's lips fell ajar slightly, a heavy exhale escaping him. "And who exactly invited a no name like you?"

From her spot, Luffy watched as the mob lords and the mayor continued to argue with each other, with Iceberg and Doflamingo going at it, Hancock snarling out for them to be quiet, and Crocodile making offhand comments about pretty much everybody in that room. Frowning slightly, she found her stare upon the woman beside Lucci, her arms folding across her chest and a deadpan gaze forming. "This is a waste of time," she muttered, to which nobody but Luffy heard.

It wasn't until the food was brought out that the arguing fell silent, different platters of glistening food placed about the table. Drinks were poured soon after and Iceberg, unfortunately, got to the bottle of wine before anybody else.

"Don't," Iceberg snapped at Crocodile when he made means to remove the bottle from him. "I need _something_ in my system to get through tonight."

"Very well, but I will not tolerate you acting up again," Crocodile agreed before reaching out for his own glass of wine. After a long sip, he nodded, clearly pleased to the taste, and proceeded to start the real conversation. "_Hancock_," he began, earning the woman's full attention away from Luffy, "did you happen to find out which base Teach likes to frequent the most?"

"Yes," she answered after a small bite of food. "I sent out a few of my girls to seduce his men into revealing some information in regards to locations and such." Pausing, she made a half-shrug and proceeded to say, "I'm pretty sure I've found out where he lives—or at least, I have been show photographic evidence of him at a particular place multiple times."

Smirking, Crocodile nodded to that. "Good," he praised calmly, eyes slowly trailing over to Doflamingo's side of the table. "And what of you? Did you do your share and figure out how many men work for him?"

Doflamingo smiled in response before taking a bottle of wine and drinking directly from the rim. "Not only that," he answered, huffing from the drink, "but I also managed to locate his routes as well as find information about whatever alliances he has—and it's not many."

"We need to strike hard and fast," Iceberg commented, which only caused the blonde to laugh out. Exhaling, the mayor ignored the man's reaction and continued on. "Who is going to go directly in and attack? And who will stay outside and keep watch and circle about the building?"

"My men will go in first," Crocodile answered firmly, placing his glass down and leaning back in his seat. "I hate saying this, but it would be best if Doflamingo and his men aid me in this task."

"I'm flattered," Doflamingo chirped out. "I think you just want me by your side to keep you safe, hmm? _Fufufufufufu_~"

Clearly trying his best to ignore the oversized bird, Crocodile turned his attention to Hancock. "You and Iceberg should stick to the outside forces. We need to make this attack swift and clean, no evidence left over of us being there. We only have one shot, and if we mess this up, then Teach will be on the lookout for future attacks."

Nodding, Hancock said, "We take out that man and all other enemy mobs will fall."

"And then it will just be us four that control this side of the country," Doflamingo cheerfully added with a clap of his hands. "To think, us four working together like this…its quiet beautiful, no?"

"Beauty is not the right word to use," Hancock objected. "Such a word is only used when describing _me_!"

Laughing, Doflamingo shook his head. "Listen, sister, you and I both know the most beautiful person in this room is me, so stop flattering yourself."

Widening her stare, Hancock brought one hard fist down upon the table. "How dare…"

"…I say such a thing?" he finished for her quickly. "I know, I know—I'm the worse, but I speak the truth. _However_," and he allowed the word to slowly roll off his tongue, "I'm willing to let you spend the night with such a beautiful person as myself!"

"I already regret coming here tonight," Iceberg quietly revealed to Crocodile, body slumped back in a relaxed posture—clearly already affected by the alcohol. "Was it you who suggested we have this meeting or…?"

"You, actually," Crocodile answered for him. "But remember, after we take care of Teach, we won't have to bother with those two ever again."

"Hopefully," the mayor agreed with a thin smile, eyes trailing over to the young maid beside Crocodile. "What serving are you _on_?"

Blinking, Luffy lifted her gaze from her plate in surprise. While all others were talking, she had taken it upon herself to actually enjoy the food before her, and yes, of course she had finished her first serving long prior. Humming, she half-shrugged and answered with, "the third, I think."

"Oh," Iceberg responded, eyes widening. "You hungry thing…" Smile ever growing, he sat fully up, lifting his glass up and tapping a fork to it. "A toast!" he cried out happily, prompting all eyes to look to him. "I have a toast."

"Boss, no," the woman started.

"_Kalifa_," he sternly said with amused eyes, "we need a toast." Standing up, he took a moment to gaze about the room. "I must admit, if asked a year or so ago, I would say that I would never see myself engaging in such an alliance…but here I am, among you all. And through this alliance, I have met some delightful people—others not so much—but most, yes, delightful."

The mayor's gaze fell to Luffy and Daz, a warm look taking to his face.

Luffy felt a hand fall upon hers, and after glancing down at her lap, she found it to be Crocodile's. Looking to his face, she discovered a strained look, with his lips mouthing the words _oh no_ silently.

"And through such an alliance, I was able to bear witness to happiness and love," Iceberg continued, causing Crocodile's grip on her hand to tighten. "I hereby dedicate this toast to Luffy and that guard…that man…that…uh…"

"Daz, sir," Kaku offered, leading Iceberg to smile back in return.

"Yes, _Daz_," he said. "I dedicate this toast to them and the little baby they are about to bring into this world!" Lifting his glass, he offered them another smile and added, "I want to pay for a small vacation for you two to go on after the attack—you'll need it."

Not to Luffy's surprise, there was a sea of different reactions to such a toast, with her own being her stiffening in her seat and going wide eyed. To her right, Daz sat choking on his drink, and to his right, Bon Clay cried out dramatically in French. To her left, Crocodile went blank in the face, hand tight around her own.

Before her, Lucci smirked, and to his side, Kalifa shrugged. Kaku did his best to clank his glass, joining Iceberg in the toast.

Across the table, Hancock strangely sat still, eyes seemingly zoning out and lips slightly ajar. Doflamingo, on the other hand, was laughing up a storm, toasting greedily and kicking his leg between chuckles. His brother had his attention fully on the younger male beside him, panic across his face.

It was Law who made the biggest scene, glass falling from his hand and shattering across the table. Blank of face, he seemed to not notice the eyes slowly traveling over to him, and after a moment, he shook his head, arose, and quickly excused himself from the table.

Returning back to reality, Crocodile released Luffy's hand and went to slick back a loose strand of his hair. "What got into him?" he questioned, eyes turning to the laughing pink bird.

Sniffing a little, Doflamingo wiped a tear away from his eye before shifting his gaze over to Crocodile, and then down to Luffy. "I wouldn't have the _faintest_ idea," he answered.

"I want to go lie down now," Luffy whispered, only loud enough for Crocodile to hear. "I…I don't feel so good right now."

Nodding, he gave her leave. "I'll be up as soon as I tie this meeting up," he informed her before she arose. "I won't wake you if you're asleep by then, but if you're awake…we need to have a talk."

Arching a brow, Luffy gave a weak nod of agreement before leaving, with Iceberg calling out her name.

"Anywhere you want, my dear!" he happily announced. "I'll pay the expenses entirely! My gift to you."

Failing to respond to him, Luffy slipped through the door silently. She gave a quick once over of the hall, in search for Law. She truly had left the meeting because she felt ill, but she feared running into him might be unavoidable. When there were no signs of such a man, she continued on, towards the main staircase.

Upon reaching the top, however, she found him. Grave of expression, Law stood leaning against the wall of the hallway, eyes slowly meeting hers, and then falling to her waist. Widening his stare, he pushed himself straight up. Lowering his brows, he approached her when she tried to worm around him, hand taking her forearm tightly.

"Are you _really_ pregnant?" he questioned, voice a whisper. It sounded as if he were in disbelief—shock, almost. His stare snapped up to meet hers once again. "_**Are you?**_" he asked again, tone sharp when she failed to answer him fast enough.

Pulling away from him, Luffy sent him a hard stare. "I have nothing to say to you."

"You…" Shaking his head, he fought back a frown. "_You have nothing to say to me?_" he questioned. "Why do you say that? Why…why didn't you tell me you're…"

"It doesn't concern you," Luffy answered sharply, leading him to tense up in his stance. "After what you did…"

Huffing, he glanced down once more at her stomach before looking back to her eyes. "_What_ exactly did I do?"

Frowning, Luffy pointed a finger at him. "You told the government about my brother, after promising not to do so!"

Lowering his brows, he looked to her with pure confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Flexing her other hand, she said, "Don't lie to me—I hate all these lies. I know you shared the information I gave you about Crocodile and Ace…this man, a detective, he said so after trespassing Crocodile's property! He said somebody that I should have trusted told the government everything. It had to be you—you were the only one…the only person I could trust to tell…"

Luffy felt horrible after she finished speaking. She had gone over this conversation a thousand times in her head, yet, when actually having it, all her words came out a sloppy mess. She was angry—pissed, really—and she found it difficult to convey her feelings properly. Shaking her head, she pulled back a foot. "I hate you…what you did…I thought I could trust you to keep that information a secret, but now people who can really hurt my brother know, because of you."

"I didn't say a word to anybody," Law started, hands lifting up as to calm her down. "Luffy, I wouldn't dare do such a thing."

"Stop lying," she shot back angrily. "Remember, you told me all about you and Corazon's plan to take down Doflamingo while working alongside the government? It only makes sense that you shared the information I gave you about both Crocodile and Ace." Taking another step back, she made means to leave, stopping when she felt his hand on her arm again. "_Let go_," she ordered through gritted teeth.

"You're angry, I get that," he started, "but I need you to know that it wasn't me who revealed such information. Luffy, _**listen**_ to me: I did not do that." Pausing, he released her arm, licking his lower lip before glancing to her lower abdomen then. "But you have no right keeping that baby a secret from me."

Luffy remained silent, unsure of how to retort to such a comment.

"Is it his?" he asked then, malice growing in his eyes. "That guard…?"

"No," she snapped back. "I never even touched that man."

"Then…" he muttered, inhaling deeply afterwards. "Then it's mine?"

Again, she remained mute.

"Luffy?" he questioned, eyes searching her stare deeply. "Is it _**mine**_?" Shaking his head, he frowned and glanced away. "It has to be, you don't look that far along…unless…" Returning his stare back to the maid, disgust took to his face. "Have you been with _him_ again? After you said you wouldn't…?"

Swallowing, Luffy gave a stiff nod. "He hasn't betrayed me," she answered, leading him to frown and lower his brows. "He hasn't brought danger to my family," she continued. "And he was there when I was hurt over discovering what you did to me."

"Don't," Law started, only to fall short with his words. "You're a naïve idiot to crawl back to him if you think I betrayed you. He's a manipulator and the only person who has brought danger to you and your family is _him_."

"No," she objected before fully turning around. "This conversation is _over_."

"You're not going to keep that baby away from me," Law called out, standing still. "I'll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening."

* * *

Lying under a mountain of covers, Luffy opened her eyes to the sound of the door opening, taking in only darkness. Shortly after, it closed and the sound of somebody shuffling about filled the room. Sitting up slightly, she watched as a dark frame took to removing its clothes, and soon enough, the bed dipped beside her, a warm body pressing against hers.

"You're awake," Crocodile commented, breath heavy with the smell of wine. "It's late—you should be asleep."

Lying back down, Luffy took to her side, tucking a pillow between her head and her arm. "You smell like wine," she responded, prompting him to laugh lightly.

"I had a _lot_ to drink after you left," he admitted. "You missed out on quite the show—Hancock was a pitiful—but hilarious—mess, and she was acting rather aggressively towards Daz." Pausing, he took a moment to yawn and shift over, so that his handless arm was lying over her arm and above her head. "I can't fathom as to why that woman is so obsessed with you, but I must admit that I'm glad Daz is taking all of her heat. I could barely get through tonight with just Doflamingo's foolishness…"

Rolling over onto her back, Luffy gazed up at the ceiling, barely making out the flat surface amongst the dark. "Is everything settled then? In regards to Teach and the plans…?"

"Yes," Crocodile answered. "We'll be making the attack in just a few short months." Pausing, he pressed his hand to her arm before sliding it across her body and down to her lower abdomen. "I don't want you around when this happens, though," he admitted. "At the mansion, I mean. It's dangerous, and in your current state…" Exhaling, he stretched his fingers out, palm flat on her. "I have a beach villa on the coast—it belonged to my adoptive father, but I never visit it. It'll be safe there."

"How safe?" she questioned softly as she pressed her hand on top of his.

"Only a select few know of its location," he answered. "And it's far away from where we'll attack."

Rolling back over to her side, she leaned her body into his, face nuzzling against his chest as her arm took to embracing him. "You better come back from the attack _alive_," she whispered against him as he fell onto his back, allowing her more comfort in such a position.

"And if I don't?" he asked, handless arm wrapping around her back.

"Then I'll beat you up," she answered, closing her eyes soon after.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Now back at the mansion, Robin is starting to question Luffy more and more about the pregnancy. Suspicions grow and soon, somebody starts to piece together the truth.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle:** Ohhh, I did not know you two shared a bday! That's so cool—I don't think I share a bday with any of the characters (;-;) I'm slowly getting more and more into Lucci, and because of such, his role in part two is going to bigger than first planned, haha. Thank you so much my trash baby!

**Sellen:** Lucci has his own issues and such to deal with, and he will definitely titter between "good" and "bad." But as of now, he's def. on the bad side, at least in regards to Luffy's safety. Thank you so much for reading!

**Lunakins13:** Haha, thank you! And there will be more Law drama to come! This was only the start :D Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** Ah! I hope this confrontation was a good read for you. I tried to make him come across as more shocked than anything, and then finally, angry and threatening, but only because he believes he is the father and has every right to want to keep Luffy/baby away from Crocodile. In regards to Lucci and all the others, yes, you're on the right path, haha. I wasn't really intending it to be erotic, but I can totally see where it was—I wanted to just make him not care about invading person space, almost as a way to dominate the situation and assert himself as more powerful than Luffy, threatening and what not. Anyways, thank you so much for reading!

**Kiki's Cat:** Of course! I always try to reply to comments/predictions to the best of my abilities without giving away too much information. I will say, though, that there will come a time (part two) where Luffy Vs Lucci will become a very real thing. Ahhh, thank you so much for the compliments and for reading this story!

**Staticy Fox Atra:** Haha, he'd rather save face and have people think it's his servants getting it on rather them him doing it. Unfortunately, poor Daz is a victim to Crocodile's quick thinking. Thanks for reading!

**VongolaDecima027:** Both; laugh &amp; panic over Iceberg because he is a mess. A full grown adult mess of a man. Haha, you're not the only person who mentioned LucciLu vibes from the previous chapter! I tried my best to make it come across as more threatening than anything, but I guess I let my inner trash out when writing out their interaction. LawLu may be mad right nowwwwwwwwww, but don't get your hopes down just yet. Thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight555:** hahaha, yesss, LucciLu will be the awkward pairing by the end of this story. Tis my evil plan all along. I think yes, sort of, especially on Law's part. I mean, him thinking that Crocodile could be a possible father is rather upsetting, maybe on the borderlines of jealousy (because he's on Luffy's good graces at the moment while Law is in the doghouse). Thank you so much for reading! :D


	38. Suspicions

***About three weeks have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Suspicions

"_Sogeking_," the gardener sang happily, bent over a rose bush with twigs and leaves mixed in with his dark hair.

Blinking, Luffy cocked her head his way, eyeing him as he went about his business. Lying upon her back, she inhaled deeply for a moment before glancing back up to the cloudy skies. "What?" she questioned, unsure of what he was going on about.

"As a name," Usopp clarified, pausing as he looked over to her. With a small smile, he quickly added, "If you have a boy, I mean—or well…" Blushing slightly, he gave a weak shrug. "I mean, you could name a girl Sogeking…or Soge_queen_…?" Laughing lightly, he clipped away a steam before continuing on. "Sogeprincess or Sogeprince…I like that."

Lowering her brows, she thought the strange names over. "What is the meaning behind _Soge_, though?"

"Ah," he countered quickly, "it's nothing—just offering suggestions." Pausing, he turned towards her once more and cocked a brow. "Have you come up with any ideas for a name?"

"Nope," she answered softly, fluttering her eyes shut when she caught him staring at her waist. It seemed like more of the people living in that mansion did that more often those days, sneaking peeks here and there at her abdomen. She figured they were mentally trying to figure out how far in she was—if anything, she was no more than four or five months. _More like three…maybe, at the most, four_, she thought as she stretched her arms out. "It's too early to think about stuff like that," she added, prompting the gardener to hum out in disapproval.

"I think it's never too early to start," he objected, cheerfully so. "I think I might be the only person around here excited for a baby—it'll liven up the place."

Opening her eyes, she threw him a dull stare. "Babies are loud and needy," she retorted before sporting a thin pout. "And besides, I'm not ready."

Wagging one finger, Usopp returned his attention back to the rose bush. "You'll _have_ to get ready, and _soon_."

Frowning, Luffy huffed out while silently going over his words of advice. Yes, of course she knew she'd have to be prepared for what was to come—she understood that more than anybody. _I just don't want to think about that now…not while I still have some freedom._ To her, the arrival of a baby meant that was it—she was completely locked in and tied down to her current position in life.

Sticking out her tongue, she blew out up at the clouds, growing annoyed. She sat up and brushed her hair clean from any grass, throwing the gardener a light glare, upset at him for bringing up the subject.

_Everybody always has something to say about this baby…_

It just became tiresome for her. Everything seemed to either be about the pregnancy—from keeping the truth hidden to what she can and can't do—or the future attack on the enemy mobsters, Teach and Whitebeard. Luffy could easily remember simpler days back when she lived in Buggy's shack, a sweet taste of a memory. _But I guess this is the price I have to pay for acting as a mistress…_Shaking her head, she frowned at the word. It still stung to think herself as such, but it was the truth, no matter how she—or Crocodile by the matter—spun it.

_And this is just the end result of that_, she thought as she rested her palm against her lower abdomen, a slight bump that seemed to grow bigger every week.

"Luffy," Usopp called out, snapping her to reality. "Maybe you should go inside?" A look of concern took to his face. "It's getting colder out…"

Blinking, she nodded once before arising, shaking out the hems of her dress free from any grass blades. The clothing was just one of the many gifts presented to her by her employer in recent weeks, something he claimed to be simple; however, to her, it was beyond befitting of her low status. Most of it was tailored to her frame expect for the mid-section, which hung a few inches loose as to allow room to grow. But most importantly, it did well to hide the growing bulge, something she knew Crocodile _must_ had specifically requested when sending the order in to the tailor.

Offering the gardener one soft goodbye, she headed for the mansion, making sure to skip around large rain puddles from the previous night's downpour. Upon entering through the back servant's door, she found Sanji running about the kitchen, sending him a simple wave of the hand before continuing on. The strong smells of meat and vegetables lingered in the hallway, hinting at all the dishes the chef was working on for that night's supper.

Smiling, she began to slow down her pace, wondering if she had enough time to sneak a bite or two. Those days, Sanji never seemed offended to her stealing food, even going as far as to tell her she could have anything she wanted. She figured that perhaps he had the notion that she should eat more due to her dining for two now, and it would be a lie if she said she never used that excuse in order to get more servings.

Before she had the chance to make up her mind, she found herself face to face with the Lady of the mansion, expression warm but eyes strangely full of concern.

"Luffy," Robin had greeted, softly so. "I was looking for you."

Arching her brows, the maid tilted her head slightly and watched as Robin motioned her to follow her. "Do you need something?" she questioned as she was lead to the social room, fire place ablaze with warmth.

Sitting down upon one of the sofas, she patted the area beside her. "Sit," she ordered gently, to which Luffy followed. "I wanted to talk to you, if you don't mind."

Blinking, Luffy gave a nod. "Oh, yes," she muttered out, confused at the woman's tone of voice. "Is something wrong?" She couldn't help but ask. Seeing Robin as such was rare; she was typically one who sported warm smiles and soft stares.

"Not exactly," Robin retorted as she reached out for a throw blanket, pulling it over her lap to warm her hands. "I…" Pausing, she glanced towards the back window for a moment, lips falling shut. "How are you feeling?" she questioned then, returning her stare to Luffy's.

"I'm well," Luffy answered, folding her hands together over her lap. "Nothing is wrong, if you're worried…"

A strained smile formed upon the older woman's face, causing Luffy to stiffen in her seat. "No, I'm not worried, but…" Humming, she shifted in her seat and gave the maid a once over. "Your dress…it's rather lovely. Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift," Luffy answered, eyes falling down to the skirt portion of the outfit, taken aback by the sudden change in subject.

"From?" Robin questioned then, prompting Luffy to flick her gaze up. When she made no means to answer, Robin continued the conversation. "Was it from Crocodile?" she asked then, leading Luffy to tense up even more. Smiling weakly, Robin glanced down to her hands, thumb playing around with her wedding band. "I've noticed he has been giving you a lot of gifts lately…why is that?"

"Uh," Luffy mouthed out, throat growing incredibly dry and stomach beginning to twist up.

"Not only that," Robin quickly added, stare still glued to her hands, "but he also gave you a fully furnished room…"

"He just knows that I'm poor and can't afford such things," Luffy blurted out. It was the best she could do in terms of lying, and it only caused the older woman to send her a coy stare. "I mean…he has so much wealth, these are only small trinkets to him and really mean nothing…"

Nodding once, Robin began to lean back on the sofa. "You look upset," she observed quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you," she added then, tone perking up. "I'm only surprised, that's all. Such gifts should be presented to you by the father of your child—a shame he is not around to do as such."

"Yes…" Luffy agreed before inhaling deeply.

"Have you confronted him yet? The father…?"

Shaking her head _no_, Luffy threw her gaze to the fireplace. It was a lie, of course—both potential fathers knew full well about the pregnancy by that point.

"Will you?" Robin asked.

"Maybe," she answered after chewing on her inner cheek for a moment. "I…I don't want to talk about him."

Frowning slightly, Robin objected with, "You shouldn't push aside telling him—I know you said he had betrayed you, but he does deserve knowing about the baby…"

Meeting the woman's stare, Luffy lowered her brows. "I'll decide if he's worthy of knowing or not," she retorted, tone growing hard. She hadn't meant to come across as harsh, but those days, she seemed more easily annoyed than usual. "Can we talk about something else?"

Stiffening, Robin gave a weak nod of agreement. "You would never lie to me, would you?"

The question caught Luffy off guard, causing her to widen her stare. "Why would you ask that?" _Why would she ask any of these questions?_ Her entire tone was off from what was typical of her, and with her asking for such information, Luffy couldn't help but feel off-put by it all.

"I…" Licking her bottom lip, Robin ran her hands up her arms, as if to warm herself even more. "I just fear that you're afraid to open up to me." Meeting her stare, she offered Luffy a warm smile. "I'm your friend and I only care for your wellbeing."

Exhaling, Luffy slunk back down in her seat, heartbeat slowing down. "Ah, I'm sorry for getting snappy," she finally said, ashamed at herself for getting so worked up so fast. "I've never lied," she added softly, almost a whisper.

_That, itself, is a lie…_

Fingers took to her own and as she glanced down to find Robin's hand upon hers, the older woman said "You can tell me anything, Luffy. I'm a very understanding person." Her skin was warm to the touch, almost lulling the maid into a state of pure trust.

"I'm…fine," Luffy answered.

"Luffy," Robin began to object, words falling silent upon her tongue when another entered the room. Her hand retracted back to her lap, stare growing hard.

Crocodile stared the two women down, face blank of any emotion besides that of slight annoyance. "Is she pestering you?" he questioned.

"No, she isn't," Robin answer, prompting the man to lower his brows.

"I wasn't asking _you_," he retorted dully. "I overhead you two just now in the hallway—stop hounding her with all these questions day in and day out."

Widening her stare, Robin began to flex her hands into fists, jaw clenching tight. "That is no way to talk to your wife."

Crocodile did a quick roll of his eyes. "I find it embarrassing that you have nothing better to do with your time but bother a simple maid. Is your life truly that pathetic?"

"It's okay," Luffy intervened, upset with how easily a fight could brew up between the two. "She wasn't bothering me…"

Seemingly ignoring her, Robin shot back at Crocodile. "There is hardly anything _to_ do in this mansion, and it doesn't help that you're so miserable to be around. Can you blame me for seeking out any form of entertainment?"

"Go visit your mother then," he suggested, a small smile forming after. "Stay for a month or two—that would be the best present you could ever offer me."

Huffing, Robin arose, offering Luffy one quick glance. Her eyes fell to the maid's stomach before flicking over to Crocodile, lips forming a heavy frown. She made her leave soon enough, prompting the man to send one dismissing wave her way before plopping down next to Luffy. The sound of the front door opening and slamming filled the hallway, seeping into the social room and into their ears.

"How can you even stand to have a conversation with that woman?" he questioned, throwing her a frustrated look. "She's unbearable."

Pouting, Luffy countered with a firm shake of her head. "You two fight too much," she observed.

Throwing his arm across the back of the sofa, Crocodile took to stretching his legs out before him. "Fighting is for children," he argued. "I only _firmly_ counter her idiotic statements." A moment passed and soon enough, that smile was back on his face. "I do hope she takes my advice and leaves for a while—that would be rather nice of her."

Biting her lower lip, Luffy glanced towards the entrance briefly. "She's asking questions about the baby more and more," she revealed before looking back to him. "And…"

"And?" he mouthed, turning his attention from the fire place to her, expression calm and uncaring.

"I think she's growing suspicious."

He arched a brow. "Of?" he asked then.

"Of us…and the baby…and everything," Luffy answered quietly. "She's starting to piece things together."

Crocodile frowned lightly and after a moment, he finally shrugged. "Let her," he commented before slinking back even farther into his seat, eyes falling shut. "Suspicions can't prove infidelity. As long as Daz claims to be the father in my place, then she has nothing to hold over me. If she finds out, then so be it—she won't be able to do anything, though."

Luffy tilted her head before throwing him a confused look. "But I thought you didn't want her to know…?"

"I _don't_," he agreed. "But I can't help it if she's clever enough to spot certain…_things_ that happen within the walls of my mansion." Opening his eyes, he glanced Luffy's way. "Without solid evidence, there is nothing Olvia can do to harm our alliance because of some accusation her daughter cooked up. If anything, I'll tell her she's just upset over the marriage—which, I'll admit, isn't a very joyful life for _either_ of us. After such, I'll reassure the woman that you are with child with my most faithful of guards." Sitting up, he offered her a smirk. "That is if you can keep your big mouth shut. As long as you do that, then there shouldn't be any worries for the future."

"You seem so sure of things," the maid observed, unsure about his prediction of what would happen is such events occurred.

Arising, he offered her one last amused glance. "I have to be."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **While at dinner, Robin finally comes around to accusing Crocodile of fathering the baby. A heated argument breaks out, topping all others, and Luffy is left feeling utterly terrible about her friendship with the older woman.

* * *

***Ah, I apologize for the short chapter!**

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Lunakins13:** No problem! I try to reply as much as I can without giving away too much information of future plot. And you did take the time to review my story, so the least I can do is reply! Well, as I mentioned before in a previous Author's Note, Crocodile is, biologically, the baby's father. But again, to me, that really doesn't matter, because in the end, it's who is willing to step up and raise the baby that is the father…if that makes sense. Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

**RazzleDazzle:** Ah! I'm jealous. I don't think I share a bday with any of the characters *pouts* Yeah, I'm kind of put off by the leopard design, especially by how floppy his nose looks (at least, it looks weird/floppy to me). But his human form THOU, like damn. RIP me. Oda knows how to draw them purdy. AH AND THANK YOU SO MUCH ! :"D

**ManOfManyTales:** Somebody slipped the information BUT WE'LL FIND OUT WHO BY THE END OF THIS FIRST PART :D But, I will say that I like your guess (not confirming anything, but just saying…) Thank you for reading!

**Sellen:** Yes! It's hard not to include that trashbag bird in every chapter. And Hancock, my precious queen—she needs more scenes. Law *thinks* it's his, and I just think it's in his character not to walk out on a potential child of his. And from his pov, Crocodile isn't a good person—Law thinks he's extremely dangerous, and the thought of his child being raised in such an environment frightens/angers him (or at least in this story version of Law, it does). Thanks for reading!

**Guest:** That is very true, and something I stand behind strongly. Biological parents don't necessarily equal mothers and fathers—it comes down to how is going to nurture and care for the child. Thanks for reading!

**Kiki's cat:** Yeah, Lucci is a smart cookie and can easily notice things that others don't pick up upon. I try to put in as much Corazon as possible, but it's proving to be more difficult than I originally imagined. As of now, I have about two more scenes planned out that involve Corazon in the first half of this story. And yes, Iceberg just has so much love to give, and the alcohol just allows him to express himself more. Yeah, I haven't mentioned it yet since Luffy &amp; Law really haven't had a normal conversation yet, but Law is sticking around for a few more months (skipping a season of class or whatever it's called, per Doffy's request). He'll explain as such once the two have a normal talk. OMG meal girls….I LIVE FOR THAT MOVIE. And I totally headcanon them having such sassy fights! xD Thank you so much for reading!

**AgentChan:** Ohhhhhhhhh the drama will ever continue to grow :D And I'm so flattered that you were able to like the Luffy (fem) Law ship because of this story. I personally don't mind writing either sexuality (homosexual, heterosexual, asexual, bi, pan, etc.) but I felt that since a lot of the stories on this site are "yaoi" I could write a story for readers looking for something hetero. Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocolate:** Ahhh, reading that you're on team Crocodile makes me smile. And yeah, he is, in a way, an ally for her, especially with her believing Law has betrayed her (even though Law claims not to have done so). AND OMG I'm so happy you mentioned the bit about Luffy growing stronger. It is my ultimate goal to have Luffy transition from the naïve weak person at the beginning to somebody strong and brave and rash like canon Luffy is. Lucci will eventually get what's coming to him for even *THINKING* about threating Luffy (in part two). Aw, you're just too kind to me. I'm so happy to see that my updates brighten up your day, if only it be a little bit. Thank you so much for the compliments and for reading this story!

**ApatheticIdiots:** Haha, you're so right. Too much drama caused by that old man, but that's what I need to keep this story afloat, haha. And thank you! That's really kind of you to write :D Thank you so much for reading!

**VongolaDecima:** Omg, I'm with you on being trash with LucciLu. I…I am very much Lucci trash overall at the moment. I'm thinking of one of my future stories being a Lucci one. Well, Robin is going to have to face the fact that somebody she considered a friend was lying to her the entire time…and was lying about a rather important subject. Her reaction…we'll see it next chapter. Thank you much for reading! :D

**KillTrafalgarLaw:** Have I ever told you that I laugh every time I type out your url/username. It's just so dramatically awesome, haha. Poor Law bby. And never feel pressured to leave a review! You just reading my story is awesome and reward enough :3 There is a lot of stress, butttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt do not fret about the baby and mental stress. We'll see what happens soon enough. :D Thank you so much for reading!

**DerNiemand:** Oh! Thank you so much for the review! It was super flattering to read and made me blush. I try to do my best when writing out the scenes and characterization, so to see you appreciate it is super flattering. And yeah, you're totally right in regards to Bon Clay: I have a bad habit with just making him the comedic relief, which isn't fair, because his character is more than just that.

Ah, you're paragraph on Crocodile and his feelings towards the baby is just so spot on. Sometimes, I worry that readers may find his almost fickle take on the baby strange—one moment, he seems against the idea, but then the next, he's warming up…but like you said, it has a lot to do with his past, and his own issues.

OHMYGOD. I can just imagine that scene, and Daz's poor little expression. That is the best scenario anybody has ever suggested, like I…it's too funny.

And Crocodile is just so obvious and lazy and needs to take his own advice and keep his big mouth shut (or, err, pants zipped up) if he doesn't want others finding out.

No, thank you for writing so much as a review! It's super flattering that you took the time to do as such. You have an amazing day yourself!

Fanart? :O That is honestly so sweet of you to even suggest! Of course I don't mind! The very thought of somebody even wanting to draw something for this story blows my mind—so thank you for even offering! :'D And thank you for reading!


	39. Anger

***About two weeks or so have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at His Command**| Anger

The savory smells of dinner lingered in the hallway, a mixture of meats and simmering vegetables with a touch of spice coming to life within the mansion. Dinner was upon them, or at least, for the two head members of the household—all others were expected to dine after said two were finished.

It was nothing new for the young maid. While she did enjoy food, especially now more than ever, she grew to accept the fact that she, along with the other servants, were only to dine upon the leftovers, which was plentiful enough. Of course, she would sneak a bite here and there while the chef prepared the meal, but never enough to cause alarm.

And while yes, it would be a lie to say that she was a friend of patience, Luffy learned to hold off until it was her time to dine from the multiple and _harsh_ toned lectures given to her by Tsuru whenever caught picking at the food.

So when dinner was prepared that particularly gloomy evening, Luffy spent her time lingering in the doorway of her room. It didn't hurt to _smell_ the food, she figured, allowing her to greedily imagine whatever Sanji had prepared that evening. _Roast, most definitely_, she thought with a flutter of her eyelids. _Onions and spices…_A smile came to her then—it was almost as if she could already taste the food.

"What are you doing?"

Blinking, Luffy glanced out the door and to her right, taking in the tired expression of the head of the house, Crocodile. He clearly was suffering from a long day, what with the light dark circles under his eyes and the tightness of his jaws and shoulders. His tone alone, however, alerted her the most, hinting that perhaps he was not going to be in the best of moods that evening.

"I'm just, uh, smelling the food," she answered, hand reaching up to gently touch the doorframe. "I can smell dinner all the way up here," she added when his gaze traveled from her and to the staircase.

Looking back her way, Crocodile dully asked, "Are you hungry?" After a quick second, he continued on, not allowing her a chance to answer. "Of course you are," he said after a dry exhale. "You're always hungry." Moving past her, he took to the top step of the staircase before pausing and glancing back her way. "Come," he ordered simply.

Following after him down the stairs, Luffy, confused, questioned, "What is it…?"

"You're hungry, no?" he inquired, cocking a tired look back her way.

Meeting him at the base of the stairs, Luffy arched a brow and nodded. "Yes," she answered quickly, "but dinner isn't ready…"

"It is, though," he argued, continuing on, her following once more after him.

"_Yes_," Luffy agreed after a soft exhale, "for _you_ it is, but not for me. I typically just wait up in my room until you and Robin are finished, so…?"

Huffing heavily, Crocodile stopped once again, leading her to run into his back. "If you're hungry, then eat now," he told her, throwing her a dry look when she backed up away from him.

"I can't," Luffy tried to explain, annoyed that he wasn't getting it. She was technically still a servant, and servants just ate at a later time. _Why doesn't he understand this?_ "I have to eat after you," she finally added, huffing afterwards and crossing her arms.

Rolling his eyes, Crocodile offered her a stiff tilt of his head. "_Idiot_," he countered. "I'm telling you that you can dine now, with _me_, instead of waiting."

Blinking, Luffy lowered her brows all the while glancing aside. "But," she softly argued, unsure of his offer, "Tsuru says that I have to dine after…you…?"

"Tsuru isn't the boss around here, now is she?" Crocodile countered, prompting Luffy to nod in agreement. "Besides…" Trailing off, his gaze fell slightly, lips coming together firmly for a moment. "The situation has _changed_ now."

Frowning, Luffy relaxed her stance a tad bit before glancing away. "Wouldn't it look odd, though?" she objected as she examined the patterning on the carpet. "Robin will be there and if I eat at the table with you…?"

"Like I said," he spoke, cutting her off and earning her full attention, "the situation has changed." Pausing for a moment, he reached into his trouser pocket to pull out a watch, studying it for a moment, and slipping it away just as fast. "We're late for dinner," he started before half-turning to continue down the hallway.

"I don't understand," she argued, prompting him to stop once more. "What's changed?" Nearing his side, she caught a coy look of a stare from the man, as if he knew some important secret.

Sending a quick glance down the hall, he returned his attention back to the maid and offered her a thin smirk. "You don't need to worry yourself with the details—only know that I have settled all of these tiresome issues."

Arching a brow, Luffy inhaled deeply for a moment, processing his words. Confused, she ran fingers through her hair to rub the back of her head. "Like what?" She couldn't help but ask, curious as to what issues he spoke of. When he failed to respond, Luffy spat out the first thing she could think of. "With Robin?"

He gave a single nod as answer before adding, "That and other things."

"How?" Luffy questioned then, alarmed at how calm he seemed to be at the subject of Robin. The mere mention of his wife's name always seemed to case him frustration, but here he stood, perfectly still and expression tired, but also relaxed in an odd sense. "I thought you said you couldn't do anything because of her mother?" She continued on, remembering all the lectures he had given her about the _alliance_ with the woman. "If Robin finds out, and she tells Oliva…?"

Crocodile lifted his hand up to silence her, offering her the smallest of smiles. "Do not fret over those two—I've got it covered." And as Luffy went to object, he gave a wave of his hand to stop her. "Listen to me," he firmly said, "I've managed to force the woman into a trap, so that if she were ever idiotic enough to back out or betray this alliance, the outcome would not look favorability towards her." Glancing back down the hall, he frowned slightly, and looked back Luffy's way. "No more talk of this—you have no business with this alliance, and we're late." Turning around, he began walking once more, leaving Luffy to stand there, more confused than ever.

_A trap?_ Pouting, Luffy returned to crossing her arms. _Why does he have to be so vague on the details…_Huffing, the maid decided to push the thoughts over. She was hungry, and invitation to dinner had been offered to her. _He seems to think everything will be alright…and he hasn't been wrong in the past…_Shrugging, Luffy allowed her hunger to lead her on.

* * *

It had only been ten minutes into the meal and already the tension in the room had grown to unbearable lengths. No words had been spoken, expect for the few comments made by Crocodile about the quality of the food, to Luffy of course. While he sat at the head of the table, Robin at the other, Luffy was placed off to his right, so that the corner of the table was between the two of them.

From her observations, the maid noticed two things: One, Crocodile seemed to not be bothered in the slightest, eating his dinner as if normal; and two, Robin barely touched her food, stare glued on the two of them. There was almost anger in those eyes, brows lowered and lips firmly pressed together. If anything, Luffy feared what was going through the woman's mind more than anything else, as if some volcano about to burst.

And burst she did.

"Is there any particular reason as to why she is joining us today for dinner?" Robin had started, voice soft, but firm.

Lifting his gaze from his plate, Crocodile arched a thin brow. "Must there be a reason?" he questioned as he reached for his glass of red wine.

Robin shrugged in return. "I find it odd that none of the other servants are joining us, that's all. I would understand if there were some special occasion as to why, but I was failed to be notified as to such…"

After taking a sip of his drink, Crocodile placed the glass down gently, hand resting upon the table. "No special occasion," he answered, prompting his wife to frown weakly. "And there needn't be one—if I request for my servant to join _me_ in dinner, then that is of my own personal doing and doesn't involve you in the slightest."

Resting her fork on her plate, Robin slumped back against her chair, hands resting upon the armrests. "You never had her join us in the past, though, so why now? Surely there must be _some_ reasoning as to why?"

Huffing, Crocodile took to cutting his roasted meat, clearly not allowing Robin's sudden conversation to ruin his meal. "Of course there is a reason," he agreed, tone almost mocking. "But I don't need to share it with you."

Robin's gaze left him to find Luffy's wide-eyed stare, prompting the maid to stiffen up and glance to her own food. While Luffy cherish the older woman, and found Crocodile's attitude toward her off-putting, she was in no way ready to confront Robin herself.

Exhaling, Robin went for her own glass of wine, taking in most of it within the span of a handful of seconds. She pressed the glass down upon the table hard, prompting both Crocodile and Luffy to look her way. "For the longest time, I've had these _suspicions_," she started, tone hard and expression heavy with distressed-amusement. "And I convinced myself that something like _that_ would—_could_—never happen, yet, here we are."

"If you wish to address an issue, do so frankly and not in some vague manner," Crocodile countered, voice growing firm. "You're ruining the dinner by doing as such."

Shifting in her seat, Luffy made means to speak, as if to calm the situation, but stopped when she felt a hand upon her knee. One quick glance to the man to her side and she was given a silent shake of the head _no_.

"Why do you look at her like _that_?" Robin questioned then, leading Crocodile to turn his attention away from Luffy. "She is your servant—a simple maid—and yet, the way you've been treating her the past few months…" Shaking her head, the older woman went to rub the bridge of her nose. "You two…"

"If you're going to throw a fit, then perhaps you should leave dinner and do that somewhere else?" Crocodile suggested calmly, an amused smirk glued to his face. It appeared as if he enjoyed seeing Robin angry as such. "You sound completely insane, rambling on like such."

Robin gave him a hard glare, fingers digging into the armrest of her seat. Sitting upwards, she pointed a finger his way. "You," she started, words trailing off. "_You two,_" she repeated, this time much firmer as her stare met Luffy's. "This entire time…you've been sleeping together, haven't you?"

Luffy opened her mouth to speak, the words trapped in her throat.

"That baby is his, isn't it?" Robin questioned then, hand falling to the table.

"This conversation is between you and me," Crocodile cut in, prompting Robin to look his way. "You have no right to speak to her in such a manner."

Exhaling loudly, Robin stood up, reaching for the rest of her drink to finish it off. "I have _every_ right to talk the way I _want_ to talk," she shot back, tossing the glass against the table and leading it to shatter. "You allowed me to enter this marriage—this disgustingly horrible marriage—while you had a mistress on the side?" Shaking her hand, she quickly corrected herself. "No, I'm actually not surprised by that on your part, but you, _**Luffy**_, you _lied_ to me."

"Wait," Luffy tried to say, only to fall silent as Robin continued on.

"You had the _gull_ to call me your friend while sleeping with the man I was practically forced to marry?" Her gaze widened slightly, as if realization had just dawn upon her. "Was our friendship just one big lie?" she questioned then, voice more hurt than angry. "Were you _spying_ on me, for _him_?"

"_No!_" Luffy quickly objected, getting ready to arise but stopping as Crocodile pinned her wrist to the armrest of her chair. "Robin, I would never…"

"Never what?" Robin mocked, clearly disgusted and hurt by that point. "Lie to me? Make me believe that I could trust you…that you were one of the _only_ good things in this mansion?" Glancing to the ceiling, she shook her head, hands reaching up to rub her face. "I'm such a naive idiot for not piecing this together sooner…"

"It was only a matter of time until she found out," Crocodile simply informed Luffy, prompting both women to look his way. Leaning forward, he picked a piece of glass out of his food and flicked it towards the center of the table. "Granted, I was hoping for a…_lesser_ scene to occur when she did, but that was just wishful thinking." Shrugging, he went for his drink and lifted it towards Robin's direction. "A toast to your wonderful detective skills—it took you long enough to piece everything together."

"_Bastard_," his wife shot back, fingers flexing to form two small fists.

"Yes, yes," Crocodile agreed with a mocking tone after a sip of his wine. "You're not the first person to call me that nor will you be the last. But now you fully know of what has—_is_—going on between the two of us." He gestured to his right at Luffy after pausing to place his drink down. "Granted, she did come around after our engagement came to be, but there is truly no reason for you to be so worked up as you are. Nothing is going to change now that you have been made aware of the situation. We weren't, nor will we ever be, in a loving marriage."

"I _know_ that," Robin angrily answered. "But you betrayed the arrangement…" Before she had a chance to finish, Crocodile cut her off.

"You can run off to your mother and cause strife between the two of us—something I'm sure you're already planning on doing—but do realize that I have more _power_ than your family." He lifted a finger and smirked. "I also have more _alliances_ than your mother does, and I've been in this business _far_ longer than any members of your kin. Also realize that I've had months to plan out a backup plan if this particular situation ever happened, and as of now, I am fully prepared to handle anything your mother does to harm me or my business."

Swallowing, Robin widened her stare slightly. "You need us to protect your routes."

"_Need_ is a strong word to use," he corrected her in response. "Yes, I suppose at one time a few months ago, you and your family were the best in regards to protecting my routes, but since then, I've gained a couple of powerful allies who can do what your mother does, and with less hassle."

Robin remained mute with a hard expression.

"Now, in regards to our current living arrangement," Crocodile continued. "I don't expect anything to change from this point on. As long as you remain silent and save me the trouble of dealing with your mother, then I will return the favor and allow you to live in this mansion and call yourself my wife in public; _**however**_, if I ever sense any danger from you towards my maid, or myself, then the pathetic existence that you call a life will be cut short."

Shaking her head, Robin started for the exit of the dining room, offering Luffy one last hard stare.

"It's up to you what you do, but do remember the consequences," Crocodile dully called out as the woman left the room, his gaze falling to his now cold food. "A perfectly good dinner ruined," he muttered to himself, falling back in his seat.

Sniffing, Luffy's gaze fell to her lap. There was a tightness in her jaw, fingers locked together and eyes wide. While the altercation just occurred, the maid could barely believe it. _Robin_, her mind whispered on repeat.

"I'm thinking of having the chef cook something new," Crocodile commented, leading Luffy to slowly look his way. "Would you want anything?"

"What about Robin?" Luffy questioned in response, brows lowering and failing to hide the mixture of anger and fear boiling inside her. "What you going to do about her?"

"You heard the ultimatum I gave her," he answered calmly. "I have given her a choice—something most people in my position would not do. But you shouldn't waste your time worrying about people like her—just focus on yourself for now."

"I can't," she objected, falling back in her seat and running one hand across her stomach. She was on the verge of throwing up—something she had grown used to by then. "Robin is my friend…"

"_Was_," Crocodile corrected after a half-laugh. "After what just happened, I would be surprised if she ever speaks to you kindly again. But, again, she isn't worth the stress. Friends are pointless to have; I've told you this before, yes?"

Rolling her eyes, Luffy exhaled loudly and frowned.

Getting up from his seat, Crocodile offered her a firm, but concerned, stare. "Listen," he began, "I don't want you getting upset over her anymore, at least not as long as you're in that _condition_." Pausing for a moment, he quietly added, "I was told stress isn't healthy for the…for the baby. Now, I'm going to go find the chef or Tsuru or _somebody_ to clean this mess up and fix another dinner. Only this time, it will be free of that nuisance of a woman."

He took his leave after that, prompting Luffy to cover her face with her hands and whine out into her palms. _You're the one who made the first dinner a failure,_ she thought bitterly to herself. As much as she wanted to chase after Robin, she figured that perhaps giving her some time to cool off would be best, and if there was new food to be had, Luffy felt it would be a sin to waste it. _I should eat first, and then figure out how to mend my friendship with Robin…_

It wasn't a good plan, but it was the best one she could come up with.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Nami has a few choice words to share with Luffy over the truth coming out. Buggy shows up unexpected with word from Ace.

* * *

**A/N: **Ahh! I apologize for not updating last week! It was the holiday and I had no time to write. There is also a chance I won't be able to update next Friday, only because that week is my finals and I'm already stressed out to begin with—barely got this chapter out today. But after next week, I should have more time to write, and I might end up updating more than once a week because of such. Anyway, there are only 12 chapters left (most of them short, with the last few being long), so this first half of the story is coming to a wrap!

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle: **Hahahaha, ahhh, I'm the same way! Their flaws are cute though, and Oda is just the biggest sinner of them all, throwing all these super cute characters at us and ahhhh (u/3/u) Oda knows what his babies wants. Honestly though, the ending ship will just be Luffy and food—fuck Law &amp; Crocodile &amp; everybody else. Fooffy OTP FTW Thank you for reading!

**Sellen:** Ah! Thank you! And yes, it was so hard for me to write Robin out as angry in this chapter—and I tried my best not to make her sound cruel. Like, it's justifiable as to why she's angry, but to be cruel about it is out of character, imo. Thank you for reading!

**Lunakins13:** Oh no! That's totally okay! I mentioned it in one tiny sentence as an "A/N," so it's totally okay if you didn't see it, and I didn't mind you asking for clarification! :D For the very end (end of part two) I'm actually going to write a few different endings (all one chapter each), to cater to each of the popular ships of this story (so that every reader, or most readers, can have an ending to their liking). Thank you so much for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** Yeah, I was trash when outlining this and couldn't help but write in some cutesy moments of him buying her gifts and such, but at the same time, he'll continue being a giant ass to her and everybody around him. Thanks for reading!

**Starlight555:** There is more of Robin flipping out to come, this was only just the beginning. :D Yes! Please still have faith in LawLu, hahaha! :D We'll see what Law does soon enough. Omg, so many people here are showing their sinful LucciLu trash shipping hahaha. I might have to do some service in this story during the second half. Thanks for reading!


	40. XXXX

***A few days have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** XXXX

"Robin has nothing to say to you right now," Nami told the fellow maid, brows lowered and lips heavy with a frown. "You really are something, thinking you can just talk to her whenever you want after what you did."

Folding her hands together over her chest, Luffy responded with a silent pout. It had been three days since that horrid dinner when Robin figured out the truth, and no matter how hard the maid tried to explain herself, the older woman seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. _She won't even talk to me, let alone look my way._

It was as if Luffy wasn't there.

Whenever she entered the same room as Robin, the latter would just up and leave. If Luffy mustered the courage to speak, Robin, again, would leave without a single response. And any time Luffy dared to lock eyes with the woman, she was only returned with a dull, almost dead-like stare.

"I want to explain why…_how_ this all happened," Luffy objected, frustrated beyond belief. Nami was Robin's safeguard by that point—if the maid wished to have even the smallest conversation with Robin, she'd have to get through the orange-haired girl first.

Crossing her legs, Nami pressed the palms of her hands to each side of her on the cot. After Luffy had moved out of the servant's room, Nami had taken it upon herself to rearrange everything, allowing her more space. "What you did…" She started, words trailing off. Shaking her head, Nami offered Luffy a hard stare. "You lied to her, _and_ me."

"No," Luffy counted quickly before pressing her lips tightly together due to Nami's glare. "Err," she added, "maybe I did, but I didn't do it to hurt anybody! I wanted to protect you all…"

Exhaling heavily, Nami casted her gaze away for a long moment, as if to think. "How so?" she questioned before meeting Luffy's stare once more. "You do realize this entire situation looks really bad on you, yes?"

Nodding stiffly, Luffy went to cross her arms, tucking numb fingers under her arms. "I thought that keeping her—and you—in the dark would be best," she explained, unsure of how to clearly word herself. Everything was an utter mess, words hard to spit up, and Nami's hard expression made things ever worse. "But I wanted Robin to know, from early on, and I thought she did," and the words continued to pour past her lips, forming a sloppy explanation.

Lifting up her hand to stop her, Nami ordered, "Woah, slow down a moment." Pausing, she inhaled and pointed one slender finger Luffy's way. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and you better be straight with me, okay?"

Luffy nodded quickly.

"I'm serious, Luffy," Nami added, tone stern. "I'll know if you're lying to me—and don't give me any bullshit answers."

"I won't," the maid agreed, slightly relieved that she was being given the chance to explain herself, if only to Nami. "I promise."

"Alright," Nami murmured as she shifted in her seat, in a more relaxed position. "First things first: Were you spying on Robin for Crocodile?"

Luffy frowned at the question. Such a subject had been brought up by Robin during that dinner, and while it wasn't true, Luffy could easily see the logic behind it. "No," she firmly answered. "I only ever brought up Robin to him when I wanted to stop our…" Swallowing, Luffy struggled to finish her sentence. "…our _interactions_," she slowly continued, "in order to be fair to Robin."

"Interactions…?" Closing her eyes, Nami shrugged to that. "That's one way to put it, but we'll get to that subject soon enough." Blinking her eyes open, she proceeded to ask, "Did you have _any_ ill-intention towards Robin, besides sleeping with her husband?"

Frowning, Luffy shook her head _no._

Tapping her lip with her finger, Nami hummed quietly. "Did you even consider Robin a friend…?"

Luffy's stare widened. "Of _course_," she spat out. "I cherish her and everybody else in the mansion deeply—I would never intentionally hurt Robin in any shape or form."

"But you did," Nami quietly countered, prompting the fellow maid to fall silent. "You hurt her a lot—she thinks you were never truly her friend; that you just used her in order to feed any information back to…back to _him_. And I have to agree—from our viewpoint, that's what it looks like…"

With shaky breath, Luffy went to sit down in a chair across the room. The stress from the conversation left her weary, legs weak and wobbly. "Can't I just explain everything, from the beginning?"

Nami shrugged. "You can tell me," she answered after a long moment. "I'm not sure if Robin is in the talking mood as of right now, but yes, you can explain it to me, if you can."

"I started working at the mansion a little over half a year ago," Luffy began, unsure of exactly how long it had been. At one point, it seemed like forever ago that she was performing in the streets beside Buggy, and at another, it seemed like yesterday. "He…_Crocodile_ caught me pickpocketing him, and he made it so where I _had_ to come work for him as his maid."

"He made you?" Nami cut in, arching a thin brow.

Licking her lower lip, Luffy couldn't help but recall the exact threats he had used on her that day._ He told me he'd alert the authorities…get me and Buggy and all of my friends in trouble…_ "He was going to cause problems for my friends—get them thrown in jail…I had no other choice." When Nami made a silent nod, Luffy continued on. "The first few days were alright, but soon he started, uh—well, he started showing interest…" Her cheeks felt warm then, embarrassed to explain as such to the fellow maid. _I gave in easily to him…even though I swore to myself I wouldn't…_

Rolling her eyes, Nami said, "You don't have to go into _those_ details—I can piece it together, and I really don't want to hear about that. When that was going on, did you know about his engagement to Robin?"

Luffy shook her head _no_. "I first found out about Robin when you all came to the mansion to live here. And I swear, I stopped everything going on between us then."

Nami frowned, clearly not believing the statement. "Then explain how you two are still going at it now, hmm?"

"I told him that he needed to end his engagement to Robin if he wished to continue doing those things with me," Luffy answered after a weak exhale. "I said that I wasn't going to cause her any emotional harm through this, and after a month or so, he told me that he had a talk with her and that she was alright with it…"

Narrowing her stare, Nami perked up at that. "Luffy, that conversation never happened…"

"I _know_," Luffy agreed. "I figured that out…He told me that Robin was alright with the two of them _looking to others_ while being married, but I pieced together that _that_ was a lie." Her hands came together over her lap, fingers interlocking. "And I was mad at him, but soon after, I found out I was pregnant, and things sort of continued on…"

Clicking her tongue, Nami fell over on her side, tucking the side of her face into the palm of her hand. "So you didn't get with him for money or anything?"

"No…"

Nami lowered her brows at that, a look of disgust forming upon her face. "The entire thing you had going on with him…you didn't do it for _any_ benefits…?"

Luffy repeated herself. "No."

Sticking out her tongue, Nami winced at the thought. "That's really gross—he's too old and mean and boring, and I can't believe you actually went that far with him…" Shaking her head, she flopped over on her back.

"Is Robin mad at me because of that?" Luffy questioned weakly. "Is she upset that I had been sleeping with him?"

"_**No**_," Nami answered, allowing the word to fill the room. "Trust me, nobody envies you over that. Robin is upset because you pretty much lied about it to her—she considered you a close friend, you know? You should have just told her if you were scared…she'd never turn you away."

With her gaze falling, Luffy wondered if that was true. _Would Robin truly have understood had I just talked to her from the start…?_

"In a way," Nami added softly, "you betrayed her by keeping silent. Betrayed any trust you two shared…as if she wasn't worthy of knowing, even though such a situation greatly involved her." Sitting up, the maid crossed her legs. "She got the short end of the stick in this marriage—you know that. She isn't happy here being married to such a man, but you were one of the only good things here, for all of us." Pausing, Nami pouted slightly. "Imagine how she must have felt to realize that said light was tainted and quite possibly a lie?"

_Terrible…_

Inhaling deeply, Nami glanced towards the door before meeting Luffy's stare. "While I'm still personally upset by this mess, I can sort of understand where you came from in all of this…I'm sure that one day Robin will understand two, and maybe we can all move past this, but not right now, Luffy. You need to realize that she's going to need some space."

"But…"

Nami shook her head. "_No buts, Luffy._ You need to wait for her to come around, and don't try to force her to listen to you." Arising, she went to smooth out the skirt portion of her uniform. "I'll talk to her, but I can't make any promises."

"Nami," Luffy barely whispered, gaze falling to her feet. Exhaling, she fluttered her eyes shut and decided that perhaps the young woman was right. "Alright, I'll give Robin her space…"

"That's the best decision you've made so far," Nami commented before heading towards the door. "I have to go now—try not to cause any more trouble, alright?"

* * *

Luffy laid on his bed, arm flung over her face as he sat at the edge, reading that day's newspaper. Few words had been shared since she first entered the room—she went straight for his bed to pout and he allowed it without question. Such interactions happened frequently those days, and so Crocodile seemingly had grown accustomed to it all.

Or at least that seemed to be the case until he tossed the papers aside and threw a dull glance down her way. "Do you have a reason for being here…?"

"I'm tired," Luffy answered softly. Moving her arm, she met his tired gaze.

"There is a perfectly good bed in the other room that is yours and yours alone," he commented before falling over on his back. "Besides, I'm thinking of taking a nap, but it's hard to do so with you sprawled out like that." He pushed her arm aside after stating as such, to make more room for himself.

Propping herself up on her side, she studied his face for a long moment, eyes trailing across his deep scar. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You're asking one now."

Frowning, she did a quick roll of the eyes. "Can I ask you _questions,_ as in more than one?"

Closing his eyes, Crocodile gave a single nod. "I suppose, but make it snappy—I plan on taking this nap very soon."

"Remember when we first met?"

His brows twitched slightly at that. "I do," he answered, tone blank of any emotion. "You tried to rob me…Why do you ask?"

Swallowing, Luffy pushed herself up some before reaching her arm over his waist to press down on that portion of the bed, giving her a good view of his face. Such a move prompted him to open his eyes, meeting hers. "You threatened me then," she explained firmly, expression hard. "You said that you'd turn me and the others into the police if I didn't come work for you."

For a moment, he remained completely silent. "I _did_," he agreed. "And this is important now because…?"

"Were you really going to do it?" she questioned then, softening her facial expression and tone. It truly interested her after recalling the event to Nami earlier. "Or was that an empty threat?"

"I don't give out empty threats," he stated, hand reaching up to touch her hip. It remained there for a moment before dipping down along her waist and stopped towards the center. While Luffy was aware of the gesture, he seemed absent-minded of it.

Frowning slightly, she tilted her head and then asked, "Are you glad that I took your _threat_ seriously then, hmm?"

His lips pressed firmly for a moment, glossy eyes studying hers. "_Glad_ is a strong word to use," he began, smirking lightly when she pouted at that. "It would be more along the lines of _pleased_." With fingers tapping out a secret tune across her lower abdomen, he added, "_This_ isn't exactly what I had in mind from the beginning when I hired you, but it would be a lie if I said I didn't come to grow _okay_ to how things are now."

Luffy smiled softly then, surprised by his answer. "Okay?" she mouthed, prompting him to cast his gaze away and fight back another smirk.

"That's enough of that," he countered as he met her stare once more. "You're being too needy."

As the maid went to object, a light tapping on the door lead her to glance back. Pulling away from Crocodile, she watched the door intently as she felt the bed move as he sat up.

"Who is it?" he questioned.

Daz's muffled voice from the other side of the door filled the room. "Sir," he began, tone naked of any emotion, "may I come in?"

Scooting forward towards the edge of the bed, Crocodile pressed his feet to the floor. "Enter."

The door opened and Daz entered, meeting Luffy's curious gaze for a brief second before speaking. "There is a man at the gate requesting to see…_her_."

Blinking, Luffy perked up and quickly asked, "Me?"

"Who is it?" Crocodile questioned, earning Daz's full attention away from Luffy. "Who could possibly be at the gate for her?"

"That clown thief," Daz explained dully. "I told him he's not welcomed here, but he insisted on speaking with here."

Luffy could feel Crocodile's gaze hard on her back, prompting her to tense up and weakly smile. _He must mean Buggy…but what does he want?_ "Uh," she began before arising, turning around to find Crocodile unamused. "I should go see what he wants."

"…" Shaking his head, Crocodile fell back down onto the bed. "You may speak to him through the gate, but he is by no means allowed to step foot on my property."

"Okay," Luffy accepted before heading for the door.

* * *

With Daz a measly ten feet away, Luffy peered through the gate to find one worrisome Buggy staring back at her. She wasn't sure if he was upset over some news he had to share, or if he was nervous about being so close to Crocodile—either way, she figured the man had something important to share to venture so far.

"Buggy?" she questioned, prompting him to weakly smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah," he started, eyes glancing past her and most likely towards Daz. "Such a huge mansion," he added. "It's so…intimidating."

Luffy nodded. "There is a lot of room inside," she commented happily. "And food."

"I'm sure of it," Buggy dully agreed. "But…" His gaze met hers and then fell, widening slightly. "Uh, you weren't lying about the food," he observed, cocking a brow and smirking. "Working for a fat cat like that man means you can eat all you want, I suppose…you've gotten bigger around the waist."

Blinking, Luffy glanced down and inhaled deeply.

"But yeah," he continued after shaking his head once, as if clearing a thought out of his mind. "I have something for you."

Luffy watched as he pulled a letter out from his pocket. "This is from your brother, but…" Once again, his gaze pushed past her towards the person watching them from a distance. "I can read it to you, if you want?"

"Yeah, do that," she agreed. _It wouldn't look good to Daz if he sees Buggy hand me a letter…_

Tearing open the envelope, Buggy gave the contents a once over before clearing his voice. "_Luffy_," he began in a mocking voice, "I'm worried about you since you haven't written back in a while…_blah blah blah_…I'm your brother…_yadda yadda yadda_…I'm going to come visit you soon. _Ace_."

Coughing, Luffy lifted her hands up to clutch the gate bars. _Ace wants to come visit? __**Now**__?_ "He can't," she started frantically, terrified of the thought of her older brother seeing her in such a condition. "Not now!"

Arching a brow, Buggy slipped the letter back into his pocket. "Why are you getting so worked up? He's your brother, ain't he?"

"He can't come," Luffy repeated herself. "Not now—_Buggy_. I need you to write him back and say to wait a few months, that I'll write him again when it's a good time. But you can't make it sound like I'm worried or anything, or else he'll go into protective mode and definitely come down here."

"Uh, sure," Buggy agreed before clicking his tongue and scratching his chin. "But I don't get what the problem is…"

"Just do it!" she snapped, leading him to jump up.

"Sure, sure," he said as he motioned his hands to calm her down. "Sorry…" Huffing, he gave a weak shrug. "That's about it…"

Calming down, Luffy gave him a thin smile. "Thanks for coming all the way out here to deliver the message."

The clown nodded with a shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah, not many would do that, you know—it's a rather long trip."

"I know…"

"And, well, you know…" he added in an implying tone. "I'm a little short on money as of now, so if you have any to spare…?"

Rolling her eyes, Luffy glanced down at her feet before pressing her forehead against the gate. "How about I bring you some cash in a few days, if I can manage to get out the mansion that is?"

Smiling widely, Buggy happily nodded. "That would be great," he said, hand slipping through the bars to pat her crown. "And honestly, it will make you feel so good inside to take care of your old friend Buggy, especially after all he's done for you."

Pulling away from the gate, she said, "I get it, I get it…"

"And don't get cheap on me either," the clown added firmly. "It's rough out there for a man like me, you know that."

"_Sure_," Luffy dully retorted as she offered him a simple wave goodbye. "I'll see you soon, and remember to write Ace back!"

With a greedy smile—most likely due to the promise of upcoming fortune—Buggy gave a friendly nod in return.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Luffy goes out into town with Daz, but is faced with an enemy of Crocodile's. An attack is made and Crocodile is left to blame one person behind it all: Robin.

* * *

**A/N: **Finals are over &amp; I'm off on winter break. My goal is to update this story at least twice a week (on Mondays &amp; Fridays) and if I can do so, a third time on Wednesdays. There are only about eleven chapters left to this first half, so if I can manage that, then this part of the story should be completed within a month or so.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Ijustdon'tcare132:** You're not far off—after next chapter, Luffy will do something very similar to that. Thanks for reading!

**Sellen23:** Yes, you're right—she does have every right. But Robin is understanding and I'm sure that when the time comes, Luffy and her will have a good talk about it. And she can *totally* beat up Crocodile, I'm 100 percent on board with that! Thank you so much for reading!

**RazzleDazzle:** Hahaha xD Ah, thank you so much!

**VongolaDecima027:** Yes, Nami allowed her to explain herself, and she will be the messenger for Luffy. Crocodile is the worse : ( haha thanks for reading!

**ManOfManTales:** Ah! I hope being speechless is a good thing, haha. Thanks for reading!

**Anna Ashiqa:** I'm sorry for the wait! It was tough the past couple of weeks due to finals and such, but I'll try my best to really spit out the updates from now on, since I'm on break! There will be more during the second half, so don't worry! :D Law…well, Law will make his appearance soon. Thank you for reading!

**Staticy Fox Atra:** Haha, thanks for reading!

**Cancer:** Ah! Thank you so much! That is so kind of you :"D And thank you for reading!


	41. Assault

***Warning: **First, _**DO NOT READ THIS WARNING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPOIL WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER.**_ If you are sensitive to intense violence leading to the serious harm &amp; potential miscarriage of a pregnancy, then please be prepared for this chapter. If you wish not to read such a scene, skip the first half of the chapter.

***About a week has passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Assault

It was a slow walk down one of the larger streets of the city, crowded with a variety of people making means to shop while the cloudy skies above took a break from the almost seemingly constant downpour. The last time Luffy had seen as many people was back when she performed alongside Buggy, disguised as a thief with an innocent smile. To see as many now only perked her curiosity and left her feeling a need to explore.

But such quick minded decisions such as that was a thing of the past for the young maid. Besides the obvious fact that she was now in no proper physical condition to go on such a miniature adventure, Luffy also had to worry about the companion—if he could be called as such—strolling behind her, ever watchful.

Hard pressed and dull of expression, Daz followed, as per orders of their employer. Normally, it would have had been Bon Clay accompanying Luffy during her outing, but due to a mix-up with Bon Clay being sent off that early morning for a quick emergency mission, Daz was left to take over. Unfortunately for Luffy, that meant little chip-chat and even littler time to browse around.

Crocodile had easily handed her off some money when she requested as such from him, almost seemingly pleased with the idea of her going out. From a few comments and snide remarks he gave, Luffy pieced together that he was just relieved at the thought of being free from her pestering ways, even if it be for a single afternoon.

Sadly, Luffy soon learned that going out with money in hand while _also_ having Daz as a guard wasn't exactly as exciting as she thought it would be. If anything, Daz made the experience rather uncomfortable, making dull remarks about how time could be better spent doing something else, or even throwing heavy frowns whenever she showed interest in a shop.

Her main goal for the trip was to slip off to Buggy's shack to hand off some—or if the clown had it his way, _**all**_—of the money, but doing so would require some cunning on her part. Even she knew it would look odd to the guard if she requested to go to _that_ part of the city to visit _that_ particular person.

_If only I could slip away just for a few minutes, _she thought as she casually glanced behind her, meeting Daz's unamused stare. Returning her attention forward, Luffy frowned slightly, unsure of _how_ exactly she would manage to get away from the man. _Maybe if I have him wait outside while I go into a shop…and then slip out somehow…?_

Pausing, Luffy went towards the edge of the street, to get a good view of what stores surrounded them. In silence, Daz followed, keeping back a handful of feet as he too halted his pace, gaze slowly leaving her to wonder about. _It can be any store, really…_she thought as she looked on, trying to figure out which shop she would use as her escape—that was until she caught a man staring her way.

They locked eyes only for a moment. Nothing in particular alerted Luffy to said man, only the strange expression he had on, as if trying to remember something or someone. She found him staring at her rather odd, but figured it meant nothing. Shaking her head, she turned her attention aside, spotting a rather small bakery with alluring smells radiating from it. _That,_ she happily thought. _I can maybe even sneak a treat!_

As she began to turn her body Daz's way to alert him of her desires to visit that bakery, she felt a sharp pressure to her side. Eyes widening, she hit her knees on the hard ground first, hands too slow to shoot out and stop her fall as she continued forward. Her face and stomach and every front of her body met flat surface, and soon gasps and cries of panic started to fill the streets.

From shock, she remained motionless, not particularly paying any attention to the man hovering over her, or more importantly, the loaded gun he had pointed at her skull. There was a _click_, and even though she heard the noise, she couldn't really process the information. If anything, all she could do was remain still as a strange sensation traveled over her body.

Something kicked her within her core, a light movement, but clearly noticeable. And soon, pain—_intense pain_—followed, prompting her to ball up into the fetal position and grid her teeth. There was a blur of movement to her side, with the screams of the word _gun_ by random people filling her ears.

She could see two men wrestling it out in the street, others gathering about them and screaming about the gun once more. Opening her mouth, Luffy tried to call out for help, but half cries escaped instead. Her thighs felt wet then, oddly warm, and the staggering pain started to grow unbearable.

Fingers lightly touched her side, words a whisper in her ears.

"_Ma'am_?" a woman questioned frantically. Other hands were on her—on her shoulder, her face, her stomach… "_Ma'am_," the voices would repeat, yet she could give no proper response.

One of the men arose victorious, holding the gun tight in his hand. In a mere second, three bullets were fired into the loser on the ground, masses of people running away in utter fear. Daz stood alone in the street, eyes hard on the corpse at his feet, and soon after he looked Luffy's way, narrowing slighting and then widening.

Hard spasms erupted in her abdomen by the time he was by her side, arms scooping her up and cold voice calling out, demanding the nearest hospital. His fast paced movements only prompted more discomfort, teeth biting down on her bottom lip to fight back the pained cries. And soon, with her head growing light from the shock of the pain, Luffy faded into darkness.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open, mind dazed and confused, and body writhing in pain. There were strange people staring down at her, odd lights off in the distance, and worried words filling the room. To her right, she could see Daz in the corner, speaking with another, shirt oddly covered in blood.

A nurse touched her cheek, earning her attention. Her voice was low, distorted even, and it was difficult for Luffy to understand what was being said.

Hands began to tug her clothes off and when she went to grasp her stomach from another convulsion, somebody pinned her back. _Stop_ they would order her, over and over again, to the point where Luffy began to panic.

It started to grow dark once more, vision fading as it did moments prior when out in the streets. Luffy tried to will herself to stay awake, but the last she saw was a man—most likely a doctor—approaching the edge of the bed with a hard stare directed at her waist.

* * *

Luffy awoke with a loud scream.

Icy hands were on her thighs, two women pushing her back down by her shoulders and arms. It felt as if something was being carved out of her.

"_**Restrain **__her_," the man at the edge of the bed angrily ordered. "She's kicking her legs!"

Hard hands took ahold of her ankles, and with wide eyes, Luffy stared up at the ceiling, breath hard to suck in.

_I'm dying_, she convinced herself, repeating the word over and over again until it started to form a sickening tune. Her gaze snapped forward, past the doctor, and out to the hallway. She spotted him quickly, gaze almost as wide as hers, as if he were witnessing something truly terrible. Luffy wanted to scream out his name for help, but the words were caught in her throat.

It wasn't until moments later, when he caught her looking at him, that she cried out for help. Daz, although clearly hearing her, remained still and offered her no aid.

Arching her back, she returned her stare back up towards the ceiling, crying out from another round of convulsions and blinding-white pain before falling back into unconsciousness.

* * *

It had been hours until she came to once more, this time with hands tied to the edges of the bed. Crust clung to the corners of her eyes and new tears began to form from a dull throb. It was dark outside, moonlight shining in from the small window above her cot.

A woman touched her shoulder, earning her attention quick enough. She pressed a cup to her mouth, and when Luffy tried to fight back, she was met with the tugging of the restraints.

"Drink," the nurse whispered sternly—an elderly lady that reminded the maid of Tsuru. "You need to drink…"

Water seeped into the cracks of Luffy's lips and soon down her raw throat. While rather uncomfortable to drink at first, she soon found the water helpful, quenching a thirst as well as aiding with the nausea plaguing her stomach. Moments later and the cup was emptied.

Wiping Luffy's lips dry, the nurse casted her gaze aside for a long moment. "Do you know where you are?" she questioned then, pulling the cloth away as her gaze met Luffy's.

"No," Luffy answered, voice hoarse.

Exhaling silently, the woman allowed her hand to fall to her side. "You're at the hospital," she answered. "You came in a few hours ago with a man…do you remember any of this?"

Wincing, Luffy tried to move on the bed, meeting the restraints again as well as a stab of pain between her thighs. Memories of that afternoon slowly began to manifest in her mind, and when she got to the moment she first saw that man, her lips fell ajar. "I was attacked…?" she answered, unsure if her mind showed her the truth or not. _Was it all a dream or…?_ "And…"

"Are you in pain?" the nurse asked when Luffy failed to finish her sentence.

The maid nodded weakly, eyes slowly leaving the older woman to fall upon the covers over her body. "It hurts," she started, tugging her right hand forward only to stop. "These…?" Glancing to the restraints, she offered the woman a pained look. "I'm tied back?"

"It was to help with the procedure," the nurse explained, pressing the cloth upon the bed to free her hands. "I can undo them, but only if you promise not to get up. You need to remain still and rest right now…"

Inhaling, Luffy gave a stiff nod. "Do it," she agreed, tongue stretching out to trace over her broken bottom lip. It didn't take long for the nurse to untie her, but after doing such, Luffy felt a tinge of relief. There was an ache in her arms, but it didn't stop her from reaching out for the source of her pain.

Her hands found her abdomen flatter than before, and as she began to desperately search for that bump, the nurse touched her forearm.

"It's gone," she quietly informed the younger of the two. "You lost it."

Luffy felt her lips fall open slightly, hot breath escaping her.

The woman pressed Luffy back down on the bed. "Please, lie back down and rest," she suggested, hands pulling away from her to tend to the cot covers. "I'm going to leave you alone right now, but I'll return shortly with the man who came in with you."

The moment the nurse left, Luffy sat back up, with hands returning back to her waist. _It's…gone?_ She broke out into a light sweat, eyes widening and heartbeat racing. The room felt as if it were shrinking then, so close to snuffing her out. Weak legs twitched and she ordered herself to shift in the bed.

When feet touched cold hard floor, she whimpered out. Standing up with a wobble, she reached up to hold her head. She fell back down on the cot quickly and gasped out.

_I'm going to pass out again…_

Light footsteps filled the hallway and a sudden sharp exhale filled the room. "I told you to remain still!" the nurse exclaimed, rushing over to her side to help her back in the bed. "You can't make sudden movements right now!"

Daz took to the other side of the cot, gaze searching Luffy quickly before lifting up to meet the nurse's. "Is she going to be alright?" His tone wasn't as emotionless as before, with only a hint of concern.

"If she remains rested and doesn't move around much, then hopefully, yes," the woman answered firmly, pulling the covers back over Luffy. "When you take her back home, make sure she gets enough to eat, and if there is any more bleeding, bring her directly back."

"Can she leave now?" Daz questioned then after a single nod.

"It isn't recommended," the nurse began, "but if you can afford a doctor on call, then yes, I suppose her leaving right now wouldn't be _too_ terrible."

"Money isn't an issue," he commented before turning around. In silence, he picked up what remained of her dirtied outing dress and glanced down to Luffy. "We need to leave, now," he informed her. "It's late and I haven't been able to contact Crocodile yet…"

"Sir," the nurse countered, weakly so, "are you sure you want to remove her from the hospital so soon?"

"Just get her dressed," Daz retorted, handing the garment over the bed. "She'll get the treatment at the mansion." Soon after, he took his leave to wait in the hallway, leaving the two women alone.

Huffing, the older woman glanced down at Luffy, lips pursed into a heavy frown. Shaking her head, she tossed the dress on the bed and began to pull the covers back. "Come on, now," she ordered, helping Luffy up.

* * *

When the car came to a halt down the driveway, Luffy found herself leaning against the door, head growing ever light once more. Her arms were wrapped over her waist, that dull pain shooting down her legs and up her abdomen. Daz's door opened and closed and soon there was a pair of wide eyes peering through the passenger window.

"Where have you two been?" a panicked voice questioned, dramatically so. "The boss has been throwing a huge fit this entire evening!" Pausing, he met Luffy's stare through the window, cocking a thick brow. "She looks absolutely tired—_**hey!**_ Don't push me over like that you bastard!"

Her door opened and Daz quickly caught her when she began to fall out. "I need you to carry her in to her room," he requested as he propped Luffy back up in her seat. "_**Now**_."

"What…what the hell happened?" Bon Clay cried out as Daz left the car to hurriedly walk to the mansion. With shaky hands, Bon Clay took to helping Luffy out, holding her tight when her legs began to give out under her. "Is that…_**blood**_?" he questioned loudly then, stare hard on the car seat.

Inhaling deeply, Bon Clay scooped her up in one quick motion and began to head towards the mansion. "_Un deux trois!_ This isn't good!" He carried into the mansion quickly enough, meeting a group of people in the entrance hallway.

"What's going on?" Usopp asked, voice shaky as he met Luffy's glazed over stare. "What happened?"

Coby was peaking in from the social room, face full of fear. "What's wrong?" his little voice cried out.

"I don't know!" the gardener answered, moving out of the way for them to pass through. "Daz just came running up the stairs!"

The smells of supper filled the air as Bon Clay continued down the hall towards the staircase. "_My dearest Luffy!_" Sanji shrieked out as he darted out the kitchen, expression angry as he tried to fit into the crowded hallway.

"_Idiot_," Zoro snapped out at the blonde. "Move out of the way for them to get through!"

As the guard began to climb up the stairs, the bobbing motion prompted the maid to clutch her waist even tighter. Wincing, she buried her face into the crook of the man's shirt collar, trying desperately to remain awake.

At that moment, she regretted not listening to the nurse's warnings.

Nearing the top, Bon Clay came to a stop, arms shaking as more people from the second floor began to crowd the hallways.

"_Luffy?_" Nami cried out, leaning over the railing with orange locks falling past her shoulders. "Robin! Come quickly," she soon added.

"B-boss!" Bon Clay whimpered out, his body tensing up against Luffy's. "I don't…"

A hand came in contact with Luffy's back, prompting her to lift her head away from the guard carrying her. She met familiar dull eyes, widened with worry and anger.

"Get her to her room," Crocodile firmly ordered before motioning all others to get out of the way. As Bon Clay scurried past, the older male's voice filled the hallway. "You should have informed me about this earlier!" he snapped at Daz before following after the two.

With Tsuru already prepping the covers, Luffy was placed down on her side. On instinct, she started to flex her legs inward in order to better clutch her abdomen, face burying into the pillow.

Tsuru pushed the guard aside, hands tugging the blankets forward before pausing for a moment "There's blood…" she quietly observed, eyes widening only in the slightest. Shaking her head, she pulled the covers over the majority of the younger maid's body before turning her attention to the others. Half of the mansion was inside the room, the other crowding in the hallway. "Don't just stand around! Go fetch me water, towels, and medicine!"

Perking up, Bon Clay quickly ran out of the room, followed by Zoro and Nami.

"My dear," Tsuru softly spoke, touching Luffy's arm as she pulled the covers up to peek underneath. "What is the matter?"

"It's _gone_," Luffy whined out, pulling back from the older woman's touch.

Arching a brow, Tsuru glanced down and narrowed her stare. "…gone?"

"_Move_," Crocodile ordered harshly as he traded places with the head maid. Kneeling down, he searched Luffy's face for a mere second before slipping his hand under the cover. His palm pressed flat against her lower abdomen, fingers twitching slightly. "What_** happened?**_" he questioned, tone growing ever hard.

On que, Daz began explaining the situation. "A man attacked her—he knocked her over and had intentions to shoot her. I managed to stop him from doing that, but…" With words falling short, he casted his gaze aside to the wide-eyed servants staring up at him, and for a moment, Luffy caught a look of guilt cross his face.

Breathing harder, Crocodile glanced down towards his hand. "The baby…?" Blinking, he grew silent, body growing deathly still.

"If you're not going to help, then move," Tsuru shot out as she smacked his hand away from Luffy. "She's needs help right now, not an interrogation."

Throwing the old woman a hard look, he arose, towering over her greatly. "Listen to me," he started, but failed to continue when one boney finger was jabbed towards his face.

"_**No**_," Tsuru countered, tone stern, "you'll listen to me. It was _I_ who nursed you back to health when you were just a mere boy missing a hand, and then once again when you were a man coming home with a jagged gash across your face." Pushing past him, she took to sitting on the edge of the bed beside Luffy. "If anybody in this mansion has any experience with taking care of others, it's me, and I won't have this young woman die because of your stubborn ways."

Exhaling heavily, Crocodile obeyed, offering Luffy one last glance before turning his attention to the audience behind them. "Who was it?" he questioned once again, approaching Daz.

"I don't know," the driver answered, stepping aside when Nami rushed in with towels and medication. He side eyed her for a moment before continuing on. "He just went directly after her—I didn't get a chance to find out before killing him…"

"So you're implying that this just wasn't a random assault?" Crocodile furthered asked, prompting Daz to nod in agreement. "Somebody went after her…" Lowering his stare, he lowered his brows. "…to get at me…?"

Swallowing, Luffy tried to sit up, but stopped when Tsuru pressed a wet towel to her forehead. "Lie down," she softly ordered her.

"Robin," Nami whimpered out quietly, taking to the woman's side. "Is she alright?"

Robin shook her head, once calm composure dominated with worry. "I think she lost it…the baby…"

Crocodile turned his attention to his wife, hand flexing into a fist. "Nobody besides a select few knew the truth about Luffy and I," he started, taking a step towards the two women. "You were one of them," he continued on, voice growing and alerting others to his advance.

"What are you trying to _imply_?" Robin snapped back, pulling Nami behind her in a protective manner.

"You were the _only_ person to show a negative attitude towards the pregnancy," he explained, pointing a finger her way. "This was your doing, _wasn't_ it?"

Exhaling loudly, she shook her head. "How dare you insinuate that I would do such a thing!" Before she had the chance to continue speaking, she let out a startled gasp as the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room. Robin fell to the floor, hand reaching to cup her reddening cheek. Nami began to cry out, stumbling back as she tried to get away from Crocodile's oncoming assault.

"_**Bastard**_!" Sanji screamed out, pushing Daz aside to hold back Crocodile by the arm. "You don't ever strike a woman!"

"Stay out of this boy," Crocodile snarled as he tried to shake the chef off of him in order to go after his wife. "I will _kill_ you," he added, eyes hard on the fallen woman. "What you did…"

With the aid of Nami, Robin arose back up and slammed the heel of her shoe into her husband's foot, earning a pained groan from the man. "Go to hell," she spat back before heading for the exit of the room, the young maid trailing after her.

As Daz began to stop her, Zoro shoved him forward into the wrestling employer and chef, causing all three to tumble to the floor. "We need to leave," he quickly said as the two women scurried out. "I'll go start the car—just get out of the mansion, _**now!**_"

"No, _stop_," Luffy whimpered out, held back by Tsuru.

"Keep out of this," the old women warned.

Huffing, Crocodile tried to elbow the young blonde off of him, failing to get a good hit in. After a moments struggle, he reached up for a glass decorative piece off of the nearby vanity and used it as a weapon to bash upon the side of the chef's skull.

Snarling out, Sanji released the older man to clutch his head, eyes wincing from the pain. "Bastard," he hissed out before rolling over from an incoming kick.

"You will pay for this, _**boy**_," Crocodile threatened as he turned his attention towards the hallway. "_Move_," he ordered as he left the room.

Moments later, the sound of draws crashing upon the floor from the other room filled the hallways, and soon enough, the servants left in the mansion began to pile into the room.

"He has a gun!" Usopp gasped out, heading towards Sanji to help him up. "Go, run," he added, clearly terrified.

"I'll fucking fight him," Sanji snapped back as he tried to head for the hallway, only to be held back by both Usopp and Coby.

Instead of reentering the room, Crocodile rushed down the hallway, footsteps heavy on the stairs. Soon enough, both Daz and Bon Clay were running after him.

"This is your chance," Usopp stressed then as he shook Sanji's shoulders. "Get out of here while he's not paying attention!"

Frowning, Sanji threw a hard stare Luffy's way, blood gushing out from a cut on his brow. His Adam's apple bobbed and he tilted his head. "I'm going to go protect Robin," he informed Luffy. "I can't easily come back, but I won't forget about you or the others—I will return for you all." He ran out of the room after that.

The sharp cry of the gate crashing prompted all those left to tense up and throw their glances towards the window. Quickly, Usopp and Coby peered through, a look of horror taking to his face.

Gun shots were fired.

"What happened?" Luffy managed to question, hand balling up into a fist as Tsuru continued to hold her back. "Are they…?"

"They're gone," Usopp answered, throwing her a strained look. "They got away in time. Crocodile and the others are just standing in the street…" Biting his lower lip, he pressed his hand to the window. "Crocodile just threw his gun on the ground…he's screaming now at the other two…"

"He looks really mad," Coby observed before pulling away from the window to approach the edge of the bed. "Luffy…?"

"_Get out of here child!_" Tsuru snapped as she reached out for the medicine brought in by Nami. "And hide if you wish to avoid Crocodile's wrath—he's going to lash out at everybody until that woman is dead."

"It wasn't her, though," Luffy objected before being offered a cup of some odd smelling liquid.

"That doesn't matter to a man like him," the older maid countered before pressing the medicine to her lips. "But you just need to focus on getting better right now." Wincing from the taste, Luffy began to argue, stopping when Tsuru placed a new wet towel upon her forehead. "You will die if you don't stop fighting back," she added coldly. "And there's been enough death for one day."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** The course of a few days as Luffy tries to recover. Only a few come visit her during such a trying time, and feelings of guilt and pain flood her mind.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Killtrafalgarlaw:** hahaha, Nami just has a tough loving vibe to her, so she's gotta scold Luffy some before letting her off the hook. Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** Crocodile has a *ton* of enemies, but yeah, Robin is a woman of honor &amp; would never do that. She's just the easiest to blame right now. Thanks for reading! :D

**Sellen23:** Before the end of this first half, Ace *will* make a reappearance : D Ah, thank you so much! And thank you for reading!

**Starlight555:** Ah! I'm so glad I can keep you hooked with this story! Thank you, you're too kind to say such compliments :'D! Identity of the attacker—or rather who he works for—will be revealed towards the end of this first half. Doctor Heartstealer should be back in a few chapters, and he'll have a lot to say about what's happened. And my finals went great! Thank you! And thank you for reading!

**AgentChan:** Just the end to part one! The sequel/part two is still coming! :D Thank you so much for reading!


	42. Recovering

**To Serve at his Command|** Recovering

The first day after the incident was spent in almost uninterrupted slumber.

There were only a few times that Luffy had awakened, all by the same person—Tsuru. Either it be for food, medication, or an adjustment of the covers, such moments only lasted a handful of minutes before the young maid lost all energy and returned back to her dreamless sleep.

By the morning of the second day, however, Luffy found it difficult to close her eyes. Although still in pain, she had enough energy within her to remain conscious and alert, dull eyes taking in the room surrounding her. While larger than the room at the hospital, her bedroom oddly still felt as if it were enclosing around her, to the point where it became suffocating almost. Even though she wished desperately to leave, the soreness in her legs forced her in remain in place; that, and of course the ever watchful eye of the head maid.

The old woman hardly left her side, something Luffy just wasn't used to. Prior to the event, Tsuru rarely made any means to communicate with Luffy besides the occasional order and lecture. Such attention felt odd, at first, but by that second morning, she had grown thankful for the support and communication.

"Drink," Tsuru gently, but firmly, offered as she brought a tea cup towards Luffy's lips.

Blowing some of the steam away, Luffy took a sip before wincing and pulling back the best of her abilities. "That tastes gross," she commented, throwing the old woman a weak frown.

Lowering her brows, Tsuru retracted the cup slightly before pursing her lips. "It'll help you," she countered. "Old herbs for old cures," she added before lifting the cup back up to Luffy's mouth. "_Drink_."

Fighting back the urge to gag, Luffy took in as much as she could, swallowing it fast before the tea could do her taste buds harm. Shifting, she carefully laid herself down upon the mountain of pillows propping her up, allowing her arms to fall to her sides and abdomen to rest. On instinct, she _wanted_ to run her hand up her waist, but her fingers only twitched in response, failing to arise.

Something inside was keeping her back from exploring that part of her body.

_Denial?_

Perhaps.

_Fear?_

Most likely.

No words had been spoken about the loss, and any thoughts that _began_ to form were quickly thrown away. Luffy simply just didn't want to deal with that subject, no matter the pain, no matter the odd feelings, and no matter how much she was questioned about what happened.

Tsuru—most likely speaking on behalf of Crocodile, who had yet to visit Luffy during those first two days—would passively ask simple questions, all relating to the event that occurred.

"Do you remember anything, dear?" She had asked her once, softly so as she lifted her eyes away from a book she had been reading.

In silence, Luffy offered her a single glance before returning her stare back up to the ceiling. "No," she had lied. "I don't." In truth, she did—she could easily recall back every moment of the attack, from first laying eyes upon the man and glancing away to the bakery. She could still fell the sharp pressure of her side as she was knocked over, the weak kick within after falling, and the convulsions of her abdomen as she lay there, bruised and bleeding.

It was about after that she started to struggle with memories—everything that occurred in the hospital seemed to blur into one big mess, and the confrontation between Crocodile and Robin left the room haunted with uneasy tension.

Remembering such incidents proved difficult for the young maid, but to actually verbalize them was a whole other problem.

"Bottling everything inside won't help you," Tsuru added later that day, when no words had been shared since morning. "You suffered a great loss…"

Inhaling deeply, Luffy gave the woman a dull stare, lips pressed together tightly as she fought back the urge to snap back. _I don't want to talk about it_, her mind screamed at her, frustration leading her to lower her brows. "I'm tired," Luffy responded after a dry exhale.

Swallowing, Tsuru gave a single nod before arising. Slowly, she took to tugging the bedcovers up, just to the point of Luffy's shoulders. Sitting back down, she offered her a thin smile. "Would you like to hear a story then?"

Blinking, Luffy examined the woman's face for a long moment, taking in her sea of wrinkles and old eyes. "What type of story?" she questioned, clearly interested. _As long as it isn't about what happened or isn't a lecture of sorts, then I don't mind…_

"About a young boy," Tsuru answered with a light shrug, "and his path to adulthood."

Frowning slightly, Luffy didn't particularly care much for the subject, but after thinking if over for a few seconds, figured it was better than just lying there in silence. "Alright," she agreed quietly.

Folding her hands together over her lap, Tsuru quickly threw a glance towards the window, eyes narrowing for only a mere moment. "It's been a while since the start of this story…"

"It's real?" Luffy interrupted, prompting the old woman to meet her curious stare. "The story is based on a true event."

Smiling, Tsuru patted her shoulder softly before offering her a single nod. "Just listen to the story, and refrain from cutting in again." Removing her hand, she continued on, eyes fluttering shut as if to recall the tale easier. "I have worked as a maid in this mansion for almost my entire life, and during such, I've had three employers: the third being the one currently in charge, the second being the man before him, and the first being the second's father." Pausing, she exhaled gently before frowning.

"The first man was kind as he was cruel. He hired me when I was just a young girl, a child really, and while he never acted harshly towards me or the other servants, he was rather _stern_ with his children. He almost appeared uncaring at times, but at the end of the day, always instilled a since of urgency towards the idea of keeping the family name running…" Blinking, Tsuru smirked slightly then before reaching out to take a sip of her tea.

"While they came from a rich background, they had begun to suffer financially—their business growing to become a thing of the past. And so these children grew up with the constant fear of losing everything, and by the time the youngest son became a man, his father had died and his siblings run off. He was left to keep this family legacy afloat, and while I will admit he tried to do some hard earnest work at the beginning, he soon turned to a life of crime.

"He started a small gang with his friends, and over the years, it grew into this complicated system—a system that placed him on top of wealth and power. He had many a men follow him loyally, yet, he always wanted a family—a son, especially—to continue on this renewed legacy he had created. He married and tried, but his wife could not bear any children, and soon after her death, he became rather depressed about the subject.

"While still young, a sickness took over his health and his desperations for an heir ever increased. I truly believe by that point he would have had taken anybody as a _son_, somebody he could teach and morph into a proper replacement for when his time came. And he did find a child—and to this day, I am unsure if this was the right choice…" Frowning, Tsuru glanced over to the door, eyeing it for a long moment. "This child…" Shaking her head, she returned her stare back to Luffy's, meeting the young maid's wide-eyed curious expression. "He was a sweet little child from the streets, and this second employer of mine took him in with ease.

"And while I would like to sit here and say that my employer deserved to take this little orphan in, I cannot—what that child faced was unbearably cruel, and it was all in the name of '_preparing him to take over the business…_' Regrettably, I watched in silence over the years as this man destroyed anything good in that young boy—he stole any innocence, youth, and joy from him and turned him into a hollow shell of a man…"

Trailing off, Tsuru casted her gaze down, prompting Luffy to arch a brow and frown. "That child…?" Luffy began, slowly piecing together who the story was about. "Was it…?"

"My third employer," Tsuru quickly answered, gaze arising from her feet. "Crocodile…" Smiling softly, she added, "You would have a hard time believing it, but yes, he was such a child in his youth—such a small thing. I gave him whatever nurturing I could offer during those trying years, but I failed him and allowed his predecessor to corrupt him.

"Crocodile murdered him, I know it, and I don't blame him. And he murdered others, again and again and again…all those who had wronged him…That man you see today is not the boy that first stepped through those mansion doors—my second employer tainted his spirit and turned him into a monster. The cycle of abuse started by that first man has continued on to this day, and I see it—I see it on how Crocodile treats others."

"Tsuru," Luffy tried to speak, words trailing off.

"I see it on how he treats _you_," Tsuru added, leaning forward in her seat and meeting Luffy with glossy eyes. "While not physically as harmful as the others, he's mentally harming you the same way as his predecessor—it hasn't even been a full year, and look at how much pain and suffering you've been through? Crocodile wants somebody who he can control and hurt, and he has chosen you—to continue that cycle and break you down."

Swallowing, Luffy tried to sit upwards once more, fighting back the urge to wince at the pain forming in her gut. "Wait…"

"Listen to me," Tsuru begged, reaching her hand out to clutch Luffy's. "You have to leave this mansion—leave _him_. As long as you stay, you will only face terrible hardships as you did the other day. I cannot sit here in silence anymore and watch another young soul get corrupted—you don't deserve any of the things that have happened to you…" Licking her lower lip, she pulled her hand away before collecting herself and shifting in her seat. "At least just think about your life during the past year, and ask yourself is it really worth staying?"

Before Luffy had the chance to respond, the old maid had arisen, excusing herself quickly and leaving the room.

Flexing her fingers, Luffy lifted her fist to her chest as she glanced up to the ceiling. Tsuru's warnings dominated any pained thoughts she had before, plaguing her mind into a sea of confusion. While she would have liked to argue back, she couldn't help but somewhat agree with the woman's words.

_She's right…I have been through a lot since first working at this mansion…_

Luffy wondered if she could just leave like that. Crocodile surely wouldn't enjoy the idea of that, so if she were to do so, it would have to be done in secret.

_And there is always the risk of him lashing out at my friends: Buggy, Shanks, the others…_

Tsuru's panicked voice dominated her mind.

_Is it worth it?_

Exhaling, Luffy had no answer for such a question. Of course she would give it her everything to protect those closest to her, but at the same time, it was costing her physical and mental damage. And then there was always that fact that Luffy felt connected to her employer, a fear keeping her away from the idea of just leaving.

_I don't know if I could leave him…this life…this situation he's created for us…_

Biting her lower lip, she began to pull the covers up over her head, as if to hide herself from the world. _Everything terrible is happening all at once,_ she thought after a sniffle pout of a whine. _I just want to live a normal life while also keeping my friends and family safe._

That was originally her goal when first working for Crocodile.

_He threatened my friends' wellbeing…_

And then he played a game where he offered her freedom.

_He told me I could leave if I rejected his advances…and I was…until…_

Until Ace needed her to help him.

_But Ace didn't force me into this situation—he asked me what I wanted, made sure I was okay with helping him. He gave me a choice…_

So Luffy allowed herself to get swept up by Crocodile's wants and needs and lingering touches, all for the sake of helping Ace.

_And then it grew into something more…where I started to __**need**__ Crocodile's attention…to enjoy what was happening…_

Soon enough, another came along—much kinder and sweeter than Crocodile, but still showing the same level of interest.

_Law didn't control me…he was a friend, until he betrayed me and my trust…_

And so that left the young maid seeking the only source of protection and warmth she knew of at that time.

_Crocodile, while cruel, gave me what I needed, emotionally and physically…and I've stayed since then…_

_**But was it worth it?**_

Sniffing once more, she allowed herself to touch her stomach first, and then slowly trace down to her lower abdomen.

_An enemy of Crocodile's did this—they murdered it, to hurt him. They knew…they had to have known it was his…_

Robin's face came to life in her mind.

_Not her—it __**couldn't**__ have been her. Robin would never hurt me like that, even if I did do her wrong…_

Luffy simply couldn't accept the idea of Robin being behind such an attack.

_Daz knew, but he was there and he's loyal to Crocodile…Bon Clay wouldn't either—I don't think he would. He had many chances to hurt me when we were alone, but he was only ever kind to me and delicate…_

_**Law knew.**_

_But Law seemed interested in taking me away with him in order to __**protect**__ the baby…it wouldn't make sense for him to set this up…_

Swallowing, she winced as she thought of the only other person who she personally was aware of that knew that Crocodile was a possible father.

That man knew everything and had threatened her all the while.

Frowning, Luffy thought of Tsuru's story and how there was a cycle of abuse happening. _A cycle of manipulation and corruption…_Sitting up, Luffy allowed the covers to pile around her waist as she casted a hard stare towards the door.

If asked a year prior, she would claim that she would never attempt to murder another person.

_Crocodile taught me how to handle a gun…_

Luffy knew full well of where there was a gun in that mansion, stored away in the depths of a certain employer's desk. There was a new feeling deep within her, dominating over any emotion of sadness or pain.

_I want to hurt him like how he hurt me…_

Falling back on the pillows, Luffy spent the rest of the afternoon mentally planning out how she would murder one Rob Lucci.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Some more time has passed and Luffy is now able to move about on her own. With the help of Bon Clay, she sneaks out of the mansion after borrowing a certain item from Crocodile, every intention in mind to pay Lucci a special visit.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**RazzleDazzle:** Ahhhh, I know, I'm terrible—I just keep throwing out horrible events to make this story even more terribly dramatic and I'm just utter trash. And thank you! They went great! :D And thank you for reading!

**Stardustadventurer:** Well, for Luffy, she's pretty dead-set on thinking it was Lucci, and for Crocodile, he's still convinced it was Robin. We'll see who was behind it all soon enough~ I disabled PMing because I kept getting spam emails and I'm super paranoid about viruses &amp; malware…and it just kept clogging up my PM box—so I thought I would just deactivate it for the time being. Thank you for reading!

**VongolaDecima:** Haha, yeah, I'm going to update a lot more frequently now that I'm on break. But ah, I'm sorry that this chapter made your day dark Dx I know it was an intense one. Crocodile has a lot of enemies—so we'll see who it is by the end of this first part of the story. Thank you for reading!

**Killtrafalgarlaw:** lol

**Cereza:** I know D': *offers a hug* Thank you for reading!

**RavenRunning:** haha, and hopefully shit will continue to get real xD Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** As of now, yeah, Lucci is the best bet to have in regards to who done it, but we'll see~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :3c Thanks for reading!

**Meez13rulez:** And both of those are really good choices—_anybody_ at this point could be a traitor! So maybe it isn't the most obvious choice :3c Thanks for reading!

**Starlight555:** Ahh, I'm sorry that chapter made you a mess! *hugs* Yeah, Crocodile was in the stages of being okay with the thought of having a kid, but that got screwed up like everything else in his life. Yeah, next LawLu moment isn't going to be so much fun D: Thanks for reading!

**Sellen:** Ahhh, don't cry! *hugs* Yeah, your leap of faith is correct xD Robin is an innocent in all of this, but Crocodile is convinced that she is behind it. Thanks for reading! :D

**Staticy Fox Atra:** There are a lot of suspects here, and everybody, including you, has good ideas, but ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :3c we'll see soon enough. Thanks for reading!

**CrispyFlamingo:** Ahhhh! You're too kind to me! Thank you so much for all the lovely compliments :'D BUT YOU'RE THE FABULOUS ONE FOR BEING SO KIND TO READ THIS STORY! I write for readers like you :'D Thank you so much for reading!


	43. Fury

***Two days have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command|** Fury

The black and purple splotches weaving across her flesh were tender to the touch. Muscles ached and scabbing cuts stung. Dark bags under her eyes made her appear deathly, but Luffy did not care.

Without aid, Luffy dressed herself within the dark room, making sure to remain silent as not to alert any others in the mansion of her movements. She had one goal that particular morning, and the less amount of interactions she had, the quicker and smoother her completion of said goal would go.

Swallowing, she tugged on a rather large coat made of some horrendous pattern—something Crocodile had picked out for her months prior. While she never made use of it before, she found the big pockets sewn within the inner lining of the coat to suit her current needs perfectly. _These pockets can easily conceal a gun_, Luffy thought briefly as she glanced behind her towards the window.

The night had been cold and ice had formed upon the glass.

Frowning slightly, she finished dressing herself and proceeded for the door, making sure to open it as gently as possible. Peeping left and right, she exhaled in relief when she found the hallway empty. _I have about an hour before Tsuru wakes up_, she figured as she closed her bedroom door.

Turning right, she headed for the room at the end of the hallway, fingers reaching out to trace the smooth wood of the large door. It had been four days since she last seen him—not once during her bedrest had he visited her, at least, not to her knowledge. Everybody else who remained in the mansion had come to see her, even Daz, popping his head in through the door for the briefest of moments.

_But not once did Crocodile come._

Inhaling deeply, she turned the door open, taking in the thick smell of cigar instantly and wrinkling her nose. She had not missed that scent, but instead of wasting time, she pressed forward, eyes glancing about quickly as she searched for the source.

She found him in his bed, face down to the mattress and still dressed from the day prior. Across from him sat his desk, covered in empty glasses and tall bottles of alcohol, and his ashtray was filled with used cigars. Luffy approached said desk and found paperwork scattered about as well, with his gun placed upon a stack, almost acting like a paperweight.

It had scratches across its handle, clearly used and clearly old, but such details had no derail upon its intensity. Licking her bottom lip, she glanced back for a mere second to study the sleeping man before quickly scooping the gun up and making her way back out the room. After closing the door, she glared down upon the heavy weapon in her hand and examined it for bullets. There were two rounds inside.

_That's more than enough…_

Wrapping her fingers around the handle, Luffy aimed it towards a painting to get a feel. It wasn't her first time holding such a weapon, but she hoped it would be her last. Shaking her head, she slipped the gun into one of the inner pockets of the coat, releasing the cold metal before tucking her fingers under her arms for warmth.

Heading out towards the direction of the back servants' door, she found herself running into one sleepy Coby in the kitchen, eyes glazing her over quickly as he made his way towards the cupboards. Jerking, he glanced back her way and cocked a thin brow. When his lips parted as to speak, Luffy quickly silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Shush," she whispered, sternly so.

Tilting his head, Coby approached her with widening eyes. "Luffy?" he questioned, quietly so. "What are you doing up?"

"It's okay," she objected, pressing her hand to his shoulder as to calm him down. "I'm just…taking a walk."

Blinking, Coby seemingly tried to smile, as if just told something silly. "Are you serious?" he asked after a mute moment, voice rising.

Hushing him down again, Luffy nodded firmly. "It'll be good for me," she informed him quickly, moving him aside so she can continue towards the door. His soft footsteps followed after her, prompting her to frown briefly. "I really am alright," she told him as she glanced back his way. "I can't stay up in that room every day…"

"But," he tried to counter, earning a dull stare from Luffy as she opened the servants' back door. "You can't…you're hurt and sick and…"

"And I'll be fine, but only if you keep quiet," she added swiftly. "Just pretend you didn't even see me, alright?"

"But…"

"_Coby_," she stressed, prompting him to halt his advance and nod weakly. "I know what I'm doing," she said then after softening her expression. With a single wave goodbye, she closed the door and continued on towards the side of the mansion, eyes taking in the eerie vacancy of the property.

_There used to be so many people around…_

Luffy wondered as to what Robin was doing at that particular moment. _Where is she…? I hope she's okay…_Exhaling softly, the young maid began to pick at her nail as she headed for the front of the mansion. It bothered her to think about how rash Crocodile had acted towards the older woman, going as far as to chase after her down the street with intentions to kill. _But he thinks she's responsible for the attack…_

Of course, Luffy knew that just wasn't the case. _Robin isn't that cold—she would never do something like that…but I know who would…_Swallowing, she slipped a hand inside her pocket to feel the gun, as if to check if it were still there. She thought of _his_ face, how he would look to her approaching him and drawing out the weapon. Tensing up, she slowed herself to a stop, glancing to the ground as her fingers traced the cold metal.

_I don't know if I can do this…_

"Luffy?"

Blinking, she lifted her stare back up, finding one confused Bon Clay eyeing her curiously. Quickly, she pulled her hand out of her pocket and went to fold her arms, tucking fingers underneath. Lips parted, but no words came out.

"What are you doing up?" the guard questioned as he approached her. "You should be in bed, my friend," he added, twirling around twice before reaching out for her forearm to lead her back to the mansion.

"No," Luffy objected, pulling away from him before meeting his startled stare. "I…I need to go somewhere."

Arching his brows, Bon Clay slowly straightened his posture out before lifting his hand up to scratch the back of his head. "Should you really be going anywhere in your condition…?"

Frowning, Luffy sent him an annoyed look. "I can handle it," she firmly stated. "I made it this far from my room…"

"_Ooooh_," Bon Clay hummed in a panicked tone, "I don't really think you should be walking around like this. You're still look so terrible, err…I mean tired, and I don't think the master would be keen on the idea of you heading out."

"I don't care," Luffy retorted, uncrossing her arms as she glanced past him to eye the rest of the driveway. "I'm wasting time just standing here," she added as she returned her gaze to his. "You're not stopping me from leaving."

Inhaling, the guard brought his hands together to rub them quickly. "Ah," he huffed, warm breath escaping his lips to meet the nippy air. "Where do you need to go? Maybe…maybe I can take you—going alone might not be the best idea…"

"I need to go to town," she answered, hesitant about his offer. After a mute moment, she slowly added, "You can drive me to a certain point, but what I have to do, I must do alone."

"…?" Silent, Bon Clay glanced about nervously. "Does he, Crocodile I mean, know about this?"

Luffy nodded _yes_.

A surprised look morphed upon his face. "And…and he's alright with it?"

Once more, she nodded _yes_.

Sniffing, Bon Clay shrugged lightly and turned to glance down the drive. "I suppose I can help you out, then," he said softly as he started down the path. "Come, follow me—I'll get the car."

Following after the tall man, Luffy threw a gaze back at the mansion, towards the top floor. Her eyes found his bedroom window quickly, dark curtains hanging down to separate him from the outside world. She wondered then if he would notice her gone, a pout beginning to tug at the corner of her lips.

_He'll probably notice to gun missing, but to go as far as to say he'll check for me in my room…_

Huffing, she pushed thoughts of Crocodile out of her mind, brows lowering as she focused her attention back on Bon Clay. Approaching the garage, the guard turned to her before lifting his hands up and motioning for her to head in the opposite direction. "Go wait out by the gate," he ordered her in a whisper, "and I'll try to get a car from that idiot inside."

Cocking a brow, Luffy watched as he slipped into the garage, and as the door began to close, she caught the back of Daz's head within. Moments after the door came to a complete shut, she head Daz's dull voice muffled by the insulted shrieks of Bon Clay.

Inhaling, she abandoned the garage to obey the guard's orders, heading straight for the gate. Her wait only lasted a handful of minutes or so, and soon enough, she was met with the sight of Bon Clay driving the car out of the garage and towards the gate.

When he came to a full stop, Luffy went to open the door to the back seats, frowning slightly when tried to step up inside soon after. It hurt to pull up the step, muscles in her abdomen still weak. Bon Clay was quick to take to her side, offering her a hand of assistance, even if she didn't want it.

"Are you sure about this?" he questioned her weakly when she got inside and rested her head on the back of the seat. "You don't look well…"

"I'm fine," she objected, reaching out for the car door to close it. "Let's just go."

* * *

With the usage of the car to her advantage, Luffy decided to have Bon Clay take her to a quick detour before heading for the Mayor's office—where she was sure Lucci was working, or at least, nearby such a facility. The area around them looked and smelt familiar, a polar opposite to the rich properties back by Crocodile's mansion.

"This is where you wanted to go?" Bon Clay asked nervously as Luffy got out of the car. When he went to question her further, she offered him a weak smile.

"I'm visiting a friend of mine," she informed him. "And he lives just right there in that house."

"It's a shack," he argued, wrinkling his nose to the smell around them. "You sure you don't want me coming in with you…?"

"No," she answered before heading towards the direction of Buggy's home of thieves. "Wait by the car—I shouldn't be that long." It felt truly strange to order the guard around like that, but she didn't need him overhearing anything of important value.

Heading around for the back, Luffy made no attempts to knock on the door. Instead, she opened it, knowing full well how bad the clown was at keeping the back door locked whenever he was home. His voice filled her head as she remembered the reason as to why.

_If the police ever find me out and try to bang down my front door,_ Buggy had explained,_ I'll be already out the back door, not having to bother to unlock it._

She found him in the kitchen slash makeshift dining room. He had a bowl of some odd looking soup before him, red nose runny. Before she had the chance to greet him, he threw her a tired look before jerking upright and almost knocking his food off the table.

"Ah!" he cried out in a shrill tone, startling the maid. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit," Luffy offered before taking to the opposite side of the table. The chairs were hard and creaky, something that she never felt or heard back at Crocodile's mansion. "I have something for you," she added weakly as she slipped her hand into her pockets, fingers filling for the hard paper inside. A few seconds passed by and a wad of bills was placed before him. "This is all I could scrape together without getting caught…"

Blinking, the clown eyed the cash hard for a moment before breaking out into a smile and a light chuckle. "Ah, look at you!" he practically cheered as he scooped up the money. Flattening the bills out, his eyes ever increased to widen. "This is a lot," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

"I tried to visit you the other day to give you the money," she started, only to fall silent as she began to recall that trip.

Half laughing, Buggy gave her a dismissive wave. "It is fine," he argued, stare glued on the bills. "I really didn't expect you to come through and help me out like this…"

Inhaling silently, Luffy allowed her hands to fall to her lap as she studied his excited expression. "Any word from Ace?"

"Hmm?" Buggy mouthed, eyes lifting up from the table to meet her stare. Frowning slightly, he examined her silently, gaze seemingly taking in all of her tired features. "You look awful," he finally determined before getting up. "And thinner..." Heading towards one of the cupboards, he opened it, pulled out a small envelope, and tossed it on the table before her. "Been cutting back on all the fine dining?" he asked then, a chuckle following suit.

Luffy only stared at him quietly, prompting him to tense up.

"Or…whatever," he awkwardly added as he collected his cash. "I'll…leave you to your letter…"

Inside she read:

_Luffy,_

_I think it's time that you come home for a visit. We need to discuss matters in person. I don't like the idea of you having to rely on another person to write your letters._

_I regret having you do these things every day. A good older brother wouldn't have involved you in this situation, and I'm sorry for doing as such._

_If I don't see your face soon, I'm going to go down there and force you to come back home. _

_Please, come home._

_Ace_

Pressing the letter flat on the table, Luffy allowed a dry huff to escape her. _He's growing anxious,_ she thought as she studied his frantic handwriting. _Maybe_ _I should go see him, to ease his worrying…_

Nothing was holding her back from doing that now.

Shaking her head, she arose from her seat and proceeded to peak her head in the other room where Buggy was waiting. Arching a brow, she watched as the clown took to smelling the money, making odd whimpers and sighs. "I'm…" she started, earning his full attention. "I'm going to go now…"

Blinking, Buggy offered her a wide smile. "Ah, yes," he agreed, failing to get up from his couch. "Don't feel shy about bringing me more money in the future, alright?"

Inhaling deeply, Luffy only offered him a wave of her hand before heading for the door.

* * *

Getting Bon Clay to wait outside was a difficult task all in itself. The guard was rather animate about joining her, going on to explain his concerns as to why she would want to visit the Mayor's offices—a collection of business like buildings and wide stretches of construction zones. While Luffy had tried her best to argue that she had personal matters to attend to, she could easily spot the look of doubt upon the man's face.

But with enough determination, she had managed to convince him to stay behind, with the car running.

_If I really go through with this,_ she thought as she walked about the zones, _then I might need a quick getaway…_

Licking her lower lip, she turned her attention to a crashing noise off in the distance, prompting her to cock a brow. Curiously, she watched as a group of workers scrambled about to collect fallen logs, heavy curses barely reaching her ears. Her hands fell to rest upon a gate before her, fingers wrapping around the rusty bars.

_All of these people work directly for Iceburg…but where exactly would I find Lucci?_

Eyeing the gate, she decided it was low enough for her to climb over without much difficulty. _In fact…it isn't that high at all._ As she started to lift her body up and over the metal bars, she was met with a palm to her forehead, prompting her to fall back flat on her feet. Flicking a gaze forward, she found herself facing a man not so unfamiliar.

Kaku, if she remembered correctly.

"Woah, hold on there a minute little lady," Kaku said as he lifted his hand up, palm facing her. "There isn't a need for you to wonder about this part of the area—are you lost?" His eyes narrowed for a moment while he studied her, as if he were starting to remember her.

"I'm looking for somebody," she answered, hands returning back to the gate top to rest.

"Somebody who works here?" he asked then with a tilt of his head. After a moment, his lips open slightly, arms crossing soon after. "Hey, I recognize you…" Blinking, he quickly undid his arms and snapped his fingers. "You're that maid," he finally concluded, smirking slightly.

Exhaling softly, Luffy nodded, unhappy that he remembered her.

"Are you looking for the mayor then?" he questioned, happily so—a completely different attitude than the distant one he sported back at the meetings. "He's not out here right now…"

Shaking her head, Luffy mouthed a _no_ to stop him. "I'm looking for somebody else…if you'd just let me through to go find them…"

Tensing up, Kaku objected with a wave of his hand. "I'm afraid I can't allow that…but who are you looking for? Are you here on behalf of Crocodile?"

"No," Luffy huffed as she gazed over his shoulder, hoping to spot out Lucci if she could. "I just need to speak with somebody…"

Frowning, Kaku went to scratch the back of his head. "Do you know somebody in the company then that isn't…" Glancing around, he leaned in a bit to whisper the rest. "That isn't a part of the alliance?"

"It shouldn't matter who it is," she argued. "I just need to speak to them in _private_."

Pulling away, he nodded once before glancing back to study the commotion of workers behind them. Returning to meet her stare, he shrugged and said, "You can just tell me who it is and I can fetch them for you—I don't mind. I'd rather have that than you stumble around here and hurt yourself."

Pouting, Luffy shook her head once more. _If he brings Lucci here, there will be too many people around…I need to get him alone… _

"I really can't help you then," Kaku said. "If you're not willing to work with me, than I'm afraid you're not going to be able to speak to the person you need to speak to anytime soon."

Huffing, Luffy offered him a light glare. "Fine," she said, lifting her hands up from the gate. "I'll wait to talk to them then." And with that, she turned and left, heading away from that particular construction zone and towards an alleyway out of sight of Kaku. Upon reaching her new destination, she hid in the shadows and watched as he glanced about for a few seconds, pout heavy on his face.

When he turned to return to his work, Luffy eyed another entrance point to the property.

_I'll just sneak in over there…but I'll have to be careful not to get caught._

After waiting a few moments, Luffy went for the new area, eyeing her surroundings carefully just in case Kaku was lurking about. When everything seemed to check out, she quickly crawled over the fence, wincing only a little bit from how quickly she had to move. Biting her lower lip, she kept a fast pace forward, quickly looking this way and that, and ignoring any eye contact from any of the workers.

She spent the good portion of fifteen minutes snooping around, failing to find any traces of Lucci. _Perhaps he doesn't work construction_, she thought as she neared a corner, oblivious to the fact that she had somebody quickly following after her.

"_**Hey!**_" His voice was hard—angry even.

Blinking, she turned to catch Kaku heading her way, clearly pissed off. When she went to turn the corner, she was met with a woman—the same woman from one of the meetings, _Kalifa_.

Cocking a brow, Kalifa eyed her up and down for a long moment before speaking. "Can I help you?"

"Uh," Luffy started, only to gasp softly when a hand took to her shoulder.

"I thought I told you that you couldn't walk around here," Kaku stated as he turned Luffy to face his way.

"Kaku, why are you acting so rough around this young woman?" Kalifa questioned, offering him a heavy stare.

Ignoring the older woman, Kaku proceeded to take Luffy's wrist within his grip. "If you weren't who you were, I'd have the authorities called," he said as he tried to lead her back to the gates, much to her struggles.

Exhaling, Kalifa quickened her pace to step in front of the feuding worker, offering him a fat frown. "Kaku," she practically scolded, prompting him to stop his advance. "Can you _please_ be so kind as to explain to me why you're causing this commotion?"

"She's trespassing," Kaku quickly informed her, throwing Luffy a hard gaze when she pulled her hand free from his. "I told her earlier that I could help her out in her mission to seek somebody out, but she was being difficult."

As her expression eased, Kalifa turned her attention back to Luffy. "You're looking for somebody? Here?"

The maid nodded.

"And who may that be?" the older woman questioned as she adjusted her glasses.

Kaku cut in with a heavy sigh. "She _won't_ say."

"You don't even give her a chance to speak," Kalifa countered swiftly. "Perhaps she doesn't feel comfortable discussing the matter with you, hmm?"

Rolling his eyes, Kaku eyed the two women for a long moment before throwing his hands up. "Then you can deal with her," he concluded before turning around. "I have work to finish."

When the two were alone, Kalifa offered Luffy a coy stare. "It takes a lot to get him worked up like that, you know," she informed softly. Pausing for a moment, she studied the maid once more, lips pursing. "Are you here on behalf of your employer?"

_She recognized me as well…_

Frowning slightly, Luffy gave a weak shrug. _Too many have noticed me now—if I attack Lucci, they are sure to piece together it was me…_With a stiff nod, she finally lied and agreed. "I need to speak to Iceburg about something important."

"And it couldn't have been completed over the telephone?" Kalifa questioned.

"Uh, no," Luffy argued. "It's of…delicate information, and Crocodile needed me to deliver it in person."

Kalifa hummed quietly before smirking. "And he sent his maid—pregnant, if I remember correctly—to do so instead of one of his guards?"

Swallowing, Luffy met her curious stare dead on. "He thought it would be less suspicious to any…_enemies_ if I went instead—just in case there were others spying on him and could easily spot out his guards."

Inhaling deeply, Kalifa offered a light shrug. "Smart." Turning, she motioned for Luffy to follow. "I'll take you to him right away."

Luffy was lead throughout the construction zone and towards a rather impressive building, with wide windows and doors with beautiful patterns carved in them. It took only a few moments, but once inside, the maid was met with Iceburg, his office door closing behind her as Kalifa made her leave.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Iceburg exclaimed as he pulled away from his desk to greet Luffy. His hand came on top her crown, patting her as a father would their child. Luffy could only offer a small smile in return. "Come, take off that heavy coat," he said, motioning to the coat rack. "I have the fire place going, so I can only assume you're cooking in that thing…"

Blinking, Luffy obeyed, allowing him to take the garment away from her and hang it up. When he returned his attention to her, she watched as his stare seemed to widen slightly, gaze falling quickly enough. His lips fell ajar only briefly, brows lowering.

"You look…" he began, as if at a loss for words as he pulled a chair out for her. "You look different," he finally determined, eyeing her once more as he sat across from her. "Almost sickly…and…" His attention fell back down to her waist, lips coming together tightly.

Remaining mute, Luffy awkwardly turned her attention away from him, gazing into the warm orange flames to her right.

"Did…did something happen?" Iceburg questioned then, voice terribly quieter than his normal volume. When she returned her gaze back to his, the mayor inhaled deeply, fist flexing on his desk. "I was informed of a particular incident a few days prior, where a woman was severely injured due to an attack…she was with child, I was told…"

"_Was_," Luffy repeated.

Iceburg stared at her with hard eyes for a long moment, as if almost looking through her. Another moment passed and his lips parted. "Oh." It was all he could manage to spit up at that moment, brows lowering and lips twitching as he searched her face.

They sat in silence for an uncomfortable amount of seconds, the crackling of the fireplace the only noise to be heard.

Licking his lower lip, Iceburg softly asked, "Are you alright?"

"I survived," Luffy answered after swallowing.

"Yes," he agreed with a weak nod, "but are you _alright…?_"

Casting her gaze to her lap, Luffy shrugged. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Sometimes I like to think I am, but other times…" With her voice trailing off, Luffy couldn't help but slump back in her seat, unsure of how to properly word her feelings.

Lifting his hand a bit, Iceburg leaned forward in his own seat and offered her a worried expression. "And Crocodile…? How is he handling it?"

Exhaling, Luffy opened her mouth to answer, but found the words caught in her throat. _Crocodile…?_ Blinking twice, she lifted her gaze to search the mayor's, confused as to why he inquired about him rather than…

"It's hard to tell what a man like him would do in such a situation," Iceburg commented when Luffy failed to answer, avoiding her stare as he looked to his window. "I can only imagine he…" Pausing, he stiffened in his seat, fingers twitching.

"Did you mean _Daz_?" Luffy finally asked, observing him as he continued to stare straight through the window. As far as she knew, Iceburg didn't know the truth behind the pregnancy, yet, could that have truly been a slip of the tongue?

Turning his attention back to her, the mayor offered a stiff nod. "Yes," he mouthed, only to soon shake his head and play it off with a weak smile. "Yes, of course—silly me. I meant Daz, that guard…Forgive me, I sometimes get names mixed up."

Nodding, Luffy studied his nervous tendencies as he began to pick at a stack of papers, gaze seemingly avoiding hers.

"I'm sure the loss was hard on him, _Daz_, that is," Iceburg continued on, making sure to stress the name. "I…" Trailing off, he pulled his hand away from the papers and planted it flat on his desk, eyes lifting to meet hers. "I'm sorry," he finally concluded.

She returned the statement with a confused stare.

"For your loss," he clarified. "It was cruel, what happened to you, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that the guilty face justice."

"Daz killed the man who did this," Luffy responded. "But…"

"But?" Iceburg mouthed.

Luffy shook her head. "I…I didn't come here to talk about that…" When she went to speak after pausing, the sound of the door opening filled the room, prompting her to hold her tongue. Turning around, she followed the mayor's stare to find Kalifa peeping into the room.

"Excuse me," Kalifa began, "but Detective Smoker is here for your meeting."

Waving his hand, the mayor said, "Have him wait until I'm finished here."

Grimacing, Kalifa glanced over her should and quickly turned her attention back to Iceburg. "He is rather…_impatient_ about meeting with you. He wishes to discuss the _incident_ involving one his men from the other day, the one that occurred in the city..."

"Tell him he can _wait_," Iceburg countered, tone harder than before. With that said, Kalifa offered a slight bow before closing the door. "I'm sorry," the mayor offered Luffy. "Please, continue on—what did you need to see me for?"

Chewing on her inner cheek, Luffy couldn't help but ponder on the thought of a detective visiting Iceburg. "Why is a detective meeting with you…?"

Tilting his head, the older male responded with a thin smile before falling back in his seat. "I get hounded by them, that's all," he answered simply. "They…the government, they're known to keep in touch with mayors—I'm sure you understand."

"Yes…" Inhaling, she decided to leave the subject. "I needed to speak with somebody," she admitted, abandoning her plan to make up an excuse involving her delivering a message from Crocodile. "And it seems I'm not allowed to search them out on my own…"

"Is it somebody who works here?" he questioned, arching a brow. "I'm sure if you ask any of the workers…"

"I need to talk to them in private," she admitted, prompting him to nod. "He…I know he works for you, and it's rather urgent that I speak to him as soon as possible."

Scratching his chin, Iceburg frowned slightly. "If it's a matter of discretion, you can tell me who it is. If you're worried about a _particular_ person finding out about you, uh, meeting up with another, I promise you, I won't speak a word to them…"

Feeling defeated, Luffy decided to finally spit the name out. "I want to speak with Lucci."

Blinking, Iceburg parted his lips to exhale. "Lucci?"

The maid nodded silently.

"Why in the world would you want to speak with him?" He seemed as if he wanted to laugh then, amused by the idea. "I didn't realize you two had that type of relationship."

"We don't," Luffy argued, tone hard.

Shaking his head, Iceburg collected himself. "I didn't mean it like that," he softly explained. "I mean…I didn't realize you two had any, uh, communications to be had together."

Luffy remained mute, fingers interweaving together over her lap.

"He's not here," Iceburg revealed when no words were spoken. "He's out of town, and has been for the past few days, actually. I'm not entirely sure when he'll return, hopefully soon, but until then, I can take a message for you, yes?"

"No," she objected, frowning afterwards. "I need to see him in person."

"Well…" His chest rose high as he studied her. "I'm sorry that I wasn't of any service."

She lifted her hand to shake it. "It's alright," she countered. _Maybe this is a sign that I shouldn't do this…_ "I, uh…that's all I wanted to discuss."

"That's perfectly fine," he commented, tone awkward, as if he were trying to be cheerful. "You came all the way out here, alone, and I feel awful it was a waste of your time and energy. You…you should really get some sleep." Arising, he went for her coat, offering it to her when she too got up. "You need rest," he reasserted firmly. "And you need to avoid going out into town…"

"What do you mean?" she questioned, taking the coat and pushing her arms through the sleeves.

"There are cruel people out there, enemies," he explained. "And people who we expect to protect us…" His Adam's apple bobbed as he paused for a moment. "Well, they sometimes do us the most harm."

She nodded, but not entirely understanding what he meant.

"When you leave, don't go out the way you came," he added as he led her to the door. "Avoid the waiting room if you can…there is an exit to your right, actually." Opening the door, he pointed said direction. "Just follow down this way and you'll find yourself free from these boring offices."

"Alright," she agreed, curious as to why he wanted her to avoid the waiting room. "Goodbye then," she started before heading down the hall, only to stop when she felt his hand on her forearm. Glancing up, she met his heavy stare.

"I truly am sorry," he quietly added, hand falling from her arm. "I never thought…" Falling silent, his eyes fluttered shut. "You hear about such incidents, but you never expect it to happen to a person you've come to care about."

She left with that statement heavy on her mind.

* * *

Upon return, she found herself heading not for her bedroom upstairs, but for her old room she once shared with Nami. Mid-way down the lower stairs and she heard footsteps from above, prompting her to glance back and wait.

She knew exactly who it was but wasn't entirely in the mood to confront him.

Continuing on, she made it to the final step before she heard his voice, hard and angry and unwelcoming. "Where the _hell_ have you been?" Crocodile questioned, causing her to turn around and meet the heavy glare falling down her way.

"I went out," she answered, taking a step back from him when he took to finishing his descent down the stairs. "I didn't like being cooped up in that room…"

His stare widened slightly, as if just told something mind-numbingly idiotic. "You went out, mere days after getting attacked?" He shook his head, inhaling deeply as he tried to collect his thoughts. "Have you lost _all_ sense?"

Frowning, Luffy ran a hand against the side of her nose, too tired to argue with him. "I'm tired," she retorted, turning slightly as if to imply she wanted to leave their conversation.

"Naturally," he observed. "You go out there in your condition…What were you thinking? Or were you thinking at all?" Waving his hand, he offered her a hard stare. "You look _sick_, too sick to go on any childish adventure."

"_Fine_," Luffy huffed. "I need to go to bed then."

Exhaling, he relaxed his posture slightly, eyes searching her face for a moment. Moving to the side of the narrow hallway, he motioned up the stairs. "Then go," he ordered, cocking a brow when she shook her head _no_.

"I'm going to sleep down here," she revealed before heading for her old room.

"What?" His hand was on her arm, grip tight at first, but then soft as she turned to glare up at him. "You have a perfectly good room upstairs."

Pulling her arm free, she said, "I want to sleep down here."

His face contorted into a somewhat disgusted expression, gaze leaving hers to take in their surroundings. "It's horrid down here—drafty and not befitting of your condition." Shaking his head, he offered his hand to her upper back, a gentler approach to get her up the stairs. "_No_," he objected. "You're not sleeping down here."

"I don't care," she finally snapped, exhausted mentally and physically. "If you cared about my _condition_ you would had visited me yesterday or the day before." Pulling away from him once more, she pointed one slender finger up at him. "I'm tired. I don't—no, I _won't_ talk to you anymore today. I'm going to bed."

Expecting an annoyed response, Luffy was surprised to find him silent, more so observant than ever before. "Fine," he agreed after a long moment of them staring each other down. "Stay down here." With that said, he turned his back on her and left her to her bidding.

She watched him until he was gone, hands falling to her sides. She felt nothing then, not sadness nor glee from winning the argument—nothing but exhausting. Inhaling, she headed for her old room, pushing the door open and falling on top her cot, taking in the odd dusty smell of the blankets.

While not as comfortable as the monster of a bed she had been given in the upstairs room, Luffy found no trouble drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** On a spur of the moment thinking, Luffy decides to leave the mansion again without informing anybody, this time to visit her brother.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh! I know! It's been forever since I last updated! And I'm so sorry for that! I fell out of the writing mood and found myself lacking motivation to write. BUT, I recently saw some AMAZING art that Tumblr user **Mimurin** drew, and it's of Crocodile &amp; maid Luffy and they said that it was inspired by this story! I was so flattered and amazed by their talent and it honestly just gave be a major dose of motivation! So thank you **Mimurin**! A link to their work (and ultimately, their tumblr blog) can be found below, with explanation as to why I can't post it on my profile. Please check it out! It truly is lovely (and NSFW, so you've been warned)!

This site doesn't allow us to post/share links to other sites anymore, which means I can't post the link to the amazing art on my profile. BUT, I will try my best to add it to this update (and on future updates) so you all can check it out.

mimurin.T UMBLR.C O M (SLASH) POST /136678417351/i-know-its-a-rare-pairing-but-00-can-you-do

I'm so sorry the link is spaced out like that-this site is being rather difficult and this is the best I could do in terms of sharing it. If you can't use it, but really want to see it, I'm sure if you go to Mimurin's blog on tumblr &amp; ask them, they'll be happy to lead you in the right direction. And I can do the same if you ask of such on my blog!

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Cereza101**: Luffy does deserve revenge! And it's not bad at all for you to wish that! Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Maybe Lucci was behind it, maybe he wasn't. We'll see in the future :3c hurhurhurhur Yeah, with Tsuru, it's biased and I wrote it because I wanted to offer different viewpoints to the situation. Romance is there, just really really really small, hahaha, but always good to see what side my readers take in terms of romance. Thank you so much for reading!

**RazzleDazzleyoutrashbaby**: YES. We must all hide poor Luffy in a pillow fort. Ahh, thank you so much!

**VongolaDecima027**: Yeah, while Luffy is still angry at Law for thinking he betrayed her, it wouldn't make sense for Law to go as far as to arrange an attack on her. But Luffy is still stubborn in regards to Law, and that issue is going to take a while to fix. We'll see if it's Lucci, but I'll just say that maybe he isn't the only one who picked up on the "truth" of the pregnancy. Thanks for reading!

**Killtrafalgarlaw**: You a good detective :D Are you going to change this username as well to match your Tumblr one? Hahaha Thanks for reading!

**Starlight555**: Hahaha, the light &amp; dark side—reminds me of Star Wars. Luffy will become the new Darth Vader, haha. Mmmmmm, we'll see how those two (Lucci &amp; Luffy) fight it out, but more so in part two of this story. Ahhh thank you so much trash baby!

**Sellen23**: Naw, you ain't awful for thinking that! It's true—it won't be awkward when she meets up with him next chapter, but…I won't say anything more :3 Ah, thank you so much for reading!

**Guest**: Hahaha, trash and cliché plot twists is what's happening up in my head. And yes! The answers will be revealed soon since we have like only 9 chapters left! :O Thank you for reading!

**TissueCube**: MMMMMMMMMMMM you is a good detective, I must say. Perhaps one of the three you listed is dead on, PERHAPS. But yes: Moral of the story: Trust no one, haha. Ahhh thank you so much for reading!

**Itachisgurl93**: SO MANY GOOD DETECTIVES. I DUNNO. Maybe it was Iceburg. Maybe not. Ahhhh Thank you so much!

**Snow Phoenix:** ahahahahahaha omg xD

**8DRainbowManVan8D**: Ahhh! Thank you so much for the lovely review! It was amazing! I am with you 100 percent. I'm so pro crocodile like omg. He is the best. And I'm so happy you're enjoying how I'm portraying him in this story! While it seems he's a bit, eh, calm at the moment, he's going to return to the war path soon enough. And yeah, his number of enemies grows every day, it seems. And lol I'm glad you're enjoying Doffy's trashy role in this trashy story! Thank you so much for reading!

**Guest**: Ahhhh, that's okay. A lot of readers don't like him, with good reason. If it isn't obvious, I adore the guy, but that's because I love his characterization in OP &amp; how much an old loser he really is. But thank you for the compliment! And thank you for reading!

**Someone Special**: Ahhh thank you so much! I'm so flattered that you would say something so kind! Law will return soon, I promise. And thank you so much for reading!


	44. Fleeing For A Moment

**To Serve at his Command|** Fleeing for a Moment

Luffy awoke to a soft tapping on her door.

Creaking an eye open, she inhaled deeply and turned her head to rest the side of her face upon her pillow. Blinking a few times, she flicked her attention to the door when another repetition of taps was made, and a moment later, she heard his soft voice.

"Luffy?" Coby questioned, prompting her to sit up and stretch.

Eyeing the door for a moment, she yawned before greeting him in. "Come in," she responded, watching as the boy entered tentatively, door squeaking briefly. At first, she noticed his nervous expression, taking in his cautious gaze and pale cheeks, but all attention was quickly drawn to the plate of food he had carried in.

Following her gaze, the young boy glanced down, smiling quickly for a moment. "I brought this for you," he explained, approaching her cot and awkwardly handing it over to her greedy hands. "Tsuru…Tsuru said you might need it…"

"Ah," Luffy practically cheered, pressing the plate to her lap to keep it stable. "Thank you!" It felt like it had been years since she ate a proper meal, and while it certainly wasn't as well put together as one of Sanji's dishes, it was tempting nevertheless.

"I made it," Coby quickly added, watching her with curious eyes as she chowed down. "Tsuru has been teaching me, ever since, uh…Sanji left…"

Licking her lower lip clean, she offered him an approving nod. "It's good," she happily said before taking another bite. "I'm lucky to have you here to cook for me," she added, words muffled through the food in her mouth.

"Oh," he answered, casting his gaze away. He began to pick at one of his fingernails, stare looking everywhere but towards her. "I…I just want to help you feel better, that's all."

The maid nodded, grateful for her little friend.

Sniffing a little, Coby took to a chair, sitting down quickly and crossing his feet. Luffy could feel his stare on her, leading her to turn her attention from her breakfast and to him for the briefest of seconds. They shared a smile, room silent and cold.

After a few minutes of them just sitting there, Coby spoke. "He was mad yesterday."

Luffy lifted her gaze. "Who?"

"Sir Crocodile."

"Oh." She picked at her food then, unsure of what to say to that. Luffy was never one to feel comfortable speaking of Crocodile to others when it involved personal matters, especially with somebody as young as Coby.

"I think he was upset," Coby began, words trailing off when Luffy failed to meet his stare. After a second, he turned his attention towards the door, studying it intently. "I think he was upset about you leaving."

"Did you tell him?" Luffy questioned, curious as to when exactly Crocodile figured out she had left the day prior.

The boy shook his head, eyes widening slightly when he met her gaze. "No," he answered, firmly so. "I never spoke to him—all I know is he came into the kitchen and started arguing with Tsuru about your whereabouts…"

She hummed quietly to herself, trying her best to imagine the scene. While she wasn't particular interested at that moment about Crocodile getting upset, she did feel bad for any trouble given to Tsuru. Frowning slightly, she rested her fork upon the plate and glanced towards the door.

_He's probably going to try and scold me again…_

Clearing his throat loudly, Coby earned Luffy's full attention once more. "Tsuru also wanted me to tell you that you should stay in bed," he said, arising. "She thought you going into the city was an unwise idea, and suggests you don't do that anymore."

"I had something important to do," Luffy gently explained, easing the boy's light pout. "And I turned out fine."

"Okay," Coby finally agreed. Heading for the door, he offered her a slight nod. "I have to go do my chores now…"

Placing her finished plate aside, Luffy made means to get up. "I'll help you, just give me a moment to wake up fully."

Shaking his head, he quickly rejected her offer. "It's okay—I can handle it myself. You rest!"

"Coby," Luffy dryly countered, throwing him a heavy stare. "I'm _fine_, I don't need to rest anymore."

Pulling away from the door, Coby went for her discarded plate. "No, no," he said, ignoring her frustrated expression. "I actually don't have much to do, what with the master out of town at the moment…"

Luffy cocked a thin brow. "Hmm?"

"He left," Coby explained as he straightened his posture a bit. "I think he had to go check up on a warehouse or something—but all I know is that since he's not here, there isn't somebody to give a whole bunch of orders and chores."

"Do you know how long he'll be out, then?" she questioned, turning towards her cot and glancing at a small chest beside it.

"He's usually gone all day when he heads out to one of the warehouses," he answered swiftly, stare following hers. "Why?"

Biting down on her lower lip, Luffy went for the chest and opened it. She pulled out a dingy carrying case and tossed it on top of her bed. _He's not here to bother me,_ she thought as she ignored Coby's puzzled gaze. _And…and I really don't want to be here when he returns, to go through another annoying round of him yelling at me._ After opening the bag, she turned back to the chest, reaching in for a bundle of clothes.

"What are you doing?" Coby asked, taking to her side as he watched her pack.

"I'm…" she started, voice growing quiet as she found herself at a loss for words.

If there was one thing certain, Luffy knew she wanted to leave—_had_ to leave, if it only be for a day. _I'm not happy here, not right now,_ she thought, turning to throw a glance to the child. "I need to go visit somebody," she finally answered, prompting him to frown.

"Are you coming back?" he asked then, voice curiously laced with hurt. "You…you won't leave for good like the others, right?"

Blinking, Luffy paused and studied his stare. "No, I won't leave for good," she answered softly. At least, she was sure she would come back. _Maybe…_ "I," she added, hand reaching up to touch his shoulder gently, "just need to go out, again. Don't worry, I'll come back."

"You promise?"

Luffy offered him a slight nod in return.

* * *

The train roared as it began, a sharp jolt that left her uneasy. It had been months since she last took such transportation, back when she first moved out to the city. While the circumstances were certainly not the same, Luffy couldn't help but _feel_ the same as she did when she set off on her own—nervous, yet also excited.

She was nervous to meet up with her family, to see their faces and answer their questions.

But she was excited to actually _be_ with her family again.

_None of them know that I'm coming,_ she thought as she gazed down the mid-section of the cart she was occupying. There weren't many others, a few ladies and such, all well-dressed. With the money she gathered together lying about the mansion, she was able to afford a rather nice seat, with her own window and space—nowhere as crowded as the seat she had bought months ago.

Huffing, she lifted her legs up to rest them upon the pair of seats opposite of her, her back pressing against her own chair and allowing her to slump down. While terribly sore from her journey to the city from the mansion, Luffy couldn't help but smile.

She had courage again.

Without any real second thought, she took the opportunity to leave the mansion, something she found herself afraid to do months prior. _I have nothing holding me back…_Her hands rested upon her lower abdomen, dipping in and feeling the tender spots from the attack. _I don't like staying in that mansion…_It reminded her to too many negative events.

Coby's question came to life in her mind.

_Will you come back?_

Luffy found herself empty of any answer. She disliked how the environment of the mansion had changed in a matter of days. What was once a place full of life and yes, even _some_ joy, now stood deathly quiet and unwelcoming. Half of those who lived there had left, and those who remained did so silently and on edge. Crocodile was a handful himself, and from what she heard from the others, was much worse than ever before in terms of being harsh and crabby. And, of course, she was seemingly constantly reminded about the loss, something she just had no energy or will to deal with.

_On the other hand…_

She still cherished those who remained—and those who left, even if they wanted nothing to do with her. Luffy missed her carefree afternoons with Usopp and Coby, her awkward yet slightly amusing chats with Hawkins, and of course, her precious moments with her employer—the good ones, the ones that made her feel needed and beautiful and happy. The maid enjoyed feeling as if he would protect her from anything, as long as she remained by his side, and even if their relationship was a game, she loved playing it.

_I wish everything would go back to those moments,_ she thought, casting her gaze out her window to take in the open fields of farmland just outside the city limits. _Can it ever return to that?_ Frowning, she thought of her reason for staying in the mansion that first month. _To spy on him, for Ace…_

Luffy had done as such, slipping off bits and pieces of information to her older brother. But now she found herself staying for other reasons, personal and selfish reasons. _Can I really just leave all of that now, after everything?_

Shifting, she propped her head against the back of her seat, fluttering her eyes shut. _Maybe I can find the answer in my dreams,_ she thought, sighing quietly before allowing the steady clinking of the train tracks below to drift her off to sleep.

* * *

His eyes widened when he answered the call of her knocking on the front door, lips parting slightly and a crook of a cough escaping him. "Luffy!" her grandfather cried out, pushing the door farther open to get a better look. "Is that really you?"

Tilting her head, Luffy offered him a light grin, watching as he took a step outside. It had been about a year since she last saw of him, greying hair even greyer and wrinkles seemingly deeper. His cough sounded the same, something she wasn't practically found of, but thankful it hadn't developed into anything worse. "I'm home," she answered happily, dodging his hand with a fearful wince when he went to slap her on the back.

"How could you not write me about you coming to visit?" he practically yelled—not entirely in a scolding matter. "You could have given me a warning," he belted out, moving after her when she slipped in the house with ease.

"I thought I'd surprised you, gramps," Luffy countered, smirking as she took in familiar smells and creaks of the house. "Besides, it was a spur of the moment visit."

"_Spur of the moment?_" Garp mocked, amused. Slamming the door behind him, he choked back a cough and threw her a heavy frown. "That doesn't explain why you didn't write as often as you should! I'll have you know, you worry me sometimes!"

"Ah," Luffy objected, flopping over one of her favorite couches, bag falling to the floor. "You shouldn't worry about me like that—it isn't good for your health, old man."

"Old man?" he repeated, expression relaxing as well as tone. "You sound like your brother—he will be happy to see you've returned home, I'm sure."

Sporting a grin, Luffy perked up. "Is he here?"

Garp shook his head _no_. "Working, I think," he added as he took to taking her bag and leaving the room, most likely to place it in her old bedroom. "He spends most of his days out, doing…ah, well, you _know_…" His voice muffled out as he disappeared deeper into the house and moments later, after his return, he continued on. "He should be back later tonight, just before dinner."

"Hmm," Luffy noted with a nod, watching as her grandfather took to sitting across the small room. She liked the distance—it kept her far away enough just in case he thought of striking again. Garp had a way of him by communicating with action rather than words, quick to scold and even quicker to punish. "How are things?"

"Good," Garp answered, sitting back in his seat to relax a bit. "Nothing much has changed since you left—the cough ain't gone nowhere, but it hasn't worsened. The money you sent some months ago helped with that…was able to afford a doctor and such. Ace…" Pausing, he offered Luffy a shrug. "Ace is doing what he needs to do."

Exhaling quietly, Luffy nodded at that, casting her gaze aside as she thought of her older brother. _By his letters, he seems to be doing alright,_ she thought, slumping onto the armrest, _but I guess I'll see if that is truly the case when he comes home later tonight…_

"What of yourself?" Garp questioned, cutting into her thoughts. "How is the working life? Learning how to be a responsible adult? Gaining any skills…?"

Blinking, she threw him a blank stare, mind frantically trying to piece together a quick cover story. "It's going fine," she answered, forcing a thin smile. "And, uh…yes, responsibilities…skills…all of that—I'm learning it all."

He nodded, looking rather proud. "Now," he began, tone a bit stern, "while I'm still not entirely thrilled over the fact that you moved to another city to seek work, I must admit I'm surprised you've been able to survive for as long as you have. You're working at a bakery, correct?"

Swallowing, she agreed with a weak nod. "Uh, yes, I am."

"Whoever employed you must be rich," he continued on, closing his eyes and smiling a tad bit. "For you to be able to send money to support both me and your older brother, well…" Blinking his eyes open, he met Luffy's stare. "I'm proud of you and the path you've chosen in life. You're doing far better than Ace—I couldn't ask for more."

"Ah," Luffy responded, shifting in her seat. "Uh, thanks…" It felt odd to be praised as such by the old man, something she wasn't used to. _I'm sure if he knew the truth, he'd be singing a different tune though…_ "So, gramps," she started quickly, trying her best to change the subject, "what's for dinner, huh?"

Tilting his head, Garp frowned a bit. "You haven't changed much in terms of wanting food," he observed before breaking out into a light laugh. "I supposed you'll never grow out of that! Ah, well, I wasn't planning on making anything fancy tonight, but with your arrival, I supposed we can prepare something nice."

While their _nice_ was just below average compared to Sanji's cooking, Luffy couldn't help but grow excited. "I can help," she offered when he arose to head towards the kitchen.

Pausing, Garp turned his attention towards Luffy, meeting her stare with a disapproving one. "You only want to sneak bites," he argued, lifting his hand to slap her arm. When she dodged him once more by falling back across the couch, he shook his head and sent her a dismissing wave. "Fine, but I better not catch you sneaking a _single_ bite!"

Luckily for Luffy, Garp was never good at catching her.

* * *

Dinner was just about prepared when Ace came late in the evening. Luffy, hands covered in flour, spices, and other ingredients Garp had her work with, cocked a glance back when she heard him open the door. A smile came to life upon her face quickly, only to soften when she felt her gut twist.

Luffy felt dread for the first time that day.

_Will he able to notice if I'm lying to him? _Luffy wondered as she began to wipe her hands clean, listening to her brother and Garp talk in the other room. _Speaking directly is much more different than communicating through letters…_ Hiding back a fearful frown, she took to the doorway of the kitchen, watching as Ace dodged a _loving_ punch from the old man in order to head towards his bedroom.

"Hold on a second there, Ace," Garp called out with a hard cough, earning Ace's attention briefly. "How about you head towards the kitchen first, hmm?"

Huffing, Ace paused and returned his attention to their grandfather, part of his back lingering in the hallway Luffy was standing in. "I'm too tired to help you cook today, old man," he objected. "At least let me take a quick nap or something?"

Rolling his eyes, Garp shoved Ace aside, so that he was standing fully in the hallway. "Dinner is already prepared, idiot! Turn around!"

With shoulders slump, Ace did as he was told, meeting Luffy's curious stare first before shrugging and glancing back to Garp. "I don't understand…" His words trailed off, attention quickly snapping back to Luffy and body perking up. "_LUFFY?_" Approaching her, Ace lifted his hands up, just barely hovering over his shoulders. He appeared shell-shocked, as if not truly believing she was standing there at that moment. "What…when…_how?_"

"Ace," Luffy cheered, happily offering him a hug. "You told me to come visit you, so I did!"

"You…you listened to me?" he murmured, pressing his right hand to her upper back to accept the hug. Shaking his head, he broke out into a light laugh, fulling taking her in and wrapping both arms around her. "Luffy!" he cried out again, happily so.

She couldn't help but wince from the tightness of his bear-hug, triggering pain in every bruise and sore spot she had. Exhaling sharply, she tried to pull away, but failed when she felt another pair of arms wrap around both her and Ace.

"Family hug!" Garp announced, lifting both his grandchildren up with ease, as if he were a young man again full of strength.

"G-gramps!" Luffy weakly cried out, eyes widening from the new amount of pressure.

Laughing, Ace began to wiggle free. "Okay, okay—that's enough," he declared, pulling away fully and offering the two of them an amused stare. "I'm really surprised that you actually came…I thought I was going to have to go get you."

Tilting his head, Garp threw an arm over Luffy's shoulders, gaze bouncing between his grandchildren. "Why would you have to go get her?" he questioned, clearly confused and unknowing of what was truly going on.

"Oh," Ace began, lips clamping shut when it became clear he was at a loss for words.

"You jealous that she's making good money and you're not?" Garp asked then, laughing soon after. When Ace offered a silent stiff nod, the old man smirked and patted Luffy on the back. "Maybe if you didn't always get into debt problems, you wouldn't have to live in the shadows of this one here!" Laughing once more, Garp shook his head and turned towards the kitchen. "Enough chit-chat, dinner is ready! Come help me set the table, eh Ace?"

"Uh, sure," Ace agreed, meeting Luffy's stare as he slipped by to follow after Garp. In a low voice, he quickly added, "we have a lot to talk about," before leaving Luffy alone in the hallway.

Swallowing, Luffy found herself picking at her thumb, lips firmly clamped tight. _That's exactly what I was afraid of…_

* * *

Sitting cross legged on her old bed, Luffy watched him pace from one side of the room to the other, expression morphing between that of joy to one of concern.

"I'm glad you came," Ace finally admitted, pausing to glance her way for a moment. "Although, I wish you came sooner…"

Exhaling, Luffy simply said, "I did what I could."

He arched a brow in return. "Were you not able to leave sooner?" A look of fear came to life in his eyes. "Are you having troubles over there?"

"No," she quickly objected, keeping her tone calm to ease his nerves. "I'm fine—everything is going fine over there. I just…couldn't come for a visit earlier."

"_Why?_"

Casting her gaze aside, Luffy brought her hands down to rest on her legs. A small frown began to play around with her lips, and soon a hum escaped her. "It's difficult to just leave without good reason," she explained. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Meeting his curious stare, she offered him a thin smile. "I came, though—shouldn't that count for something?"

Half-shrugging, Ace gave a slight nod before sitting on the edge of her bed. As his shoulders slumped, he let out a tired yawn. "I really am glad to see you here—home. It's where you belong…" His stare searched hers, brows lowering. "You look tired…?"

"From the train ride here," she explained, lowering her gaze from his to fall upon her lap. _Better he think that than know the truth…_

"You would tell me if something ever happened to you, right?" Ace questioned then, hand reaching out for the bed frame. He began to pick at the wood, clearly nervous for her answer.

"_Yes_." The lie came out slow, dying off at the end.

Ace's expression implied that he didn't quite buy her answer, but he continued on with the conversation nevertheless. "Has he grown suspicious of you?"

"Who?"

"That man—Crocodile," Ace answered, throwing her a firm stare. "Do you think he's on to you?"

"Oh," Luffy mouthed, licking her lips after. "Uh, no, he's not suspicious…he's just…"

Ace perked up slightly. "He's what?"

Shaking her head, she threw him a thin smile. "He's perfectly oblivious to everything," she answered, happily so. "He has no idea that I've been spying on him for you."

"And how does he treat you?" Ace questioned then, hand falling from the bed frame. "I've heard rumors that he isn't exactly the nicest person to be around, so I'm rather nervous about how he treats his servants…"

"He treats me like any other person working in the mansion," she offered him. When he didn't seem to take to the answer, she quickly added, "He treats me alright. He isn't cruel or…or anything you've heard."

Frowning, Ace turned his stare to his feet. "You have no idea what I've heard though," he began, prompting her to huff out in frustration, annoyed that he wasn't taking to her answers.

"But you're not the one living there," she countered. "I wouldn't stay if I was in any danger…"

Her older brother remained mute for a long moment, stare searching hers. Finally, he arose with a nod. "Okay, I believe you," he said, offering her a light smile. "I'm just worried, that's all—can you blame me?"

"You are the one who told me to stay and work for him," she reminded him before falling over on her side to watch him approach a window. "You get yourself worried all on your own…"

Tapping the window gently, Ace laughed at that quietly. "I suppose you're right…It was a bad idea—to this day, I still don't know what came over me to allow you to do something so dangerous."

"You were desperate," she answered, looking to the ceiling. "And I was able to forward you information…Did any of that help? Or was it all a waste of time?"

"No," Ace answered softly. "It helped, a lot actually. I'm surprised you were able to dig up as much information as you did…" Turning his attention towards, he remained silent until she glanced his way, taking in his saddened expression. "Thank you," he finally added. "I don't deserve people who are willing to risk their lives for me…"

Luffy sat up on her elbow, lips falling apart barely. "Ace…"

"Ah, it's okay," he said, laughing it off as he turned and brought his hand across his face. Sniffing a little, he shook his head and threw her a smile. "I suppose I should tell you what's happening on my side, hmm?"

"Yes," Luffy agreed, sitting up to give her brother room when he went to sit on the bed again. "Tell me everything."

"Fine, fine," Ace responded, hands falling on the bed to support himself as he began to lean back. "I've told Teach almost everything you've written to me about Crocodile and his alliances."

Luffy arched a brow. "Almost…?"

Smirking, Ace studied her confused expression for a moment. "I didn't mention that _K_ person you wrote about—thought I would save that for an emergency. Speaking of which, have you been able to gather any more information about that name…?"

She shook her head. "I only ever came across it that once."

Humming, Ace nodded. "Such secrecy is never a good thing…" Inhaling, he shrugged and said, "It would be nice to know how that person is, but I guess it isn't _that _important at the moment…Anyway, Teach seems happy about the information you've gathered."

"Does he know about me?" Luffy asked then, a pout forming.

Ace grimaced and nodded slightly. "He kind of figured it out when I told him I had somebody spying on Crocodile from the inside."

"Hmm…" While Luffy didn't like the idea of such powerful people knowing of her, she figured that if Teach was happy with Ace, then she wouldn't be in any danger. "Alright…"

"He's ready for that attack you mentioned," Ace added then, earning her full attention. "He was very pleased when I told him about it—enough to forgive my debt."

Widening her stare, Luffy couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"Yes," Ace answered, matching her grin. "I'm free—entirely free."

"Ace…" Inhaling, she brought her hands together to clap them. "You did it!"

He shook his head. "No, Luffy—_you_ did it."

Lifting her hand up to scratch the back of her head, Luffy allowed a little laugh to escape her. She was too happy then—all the hard work they did in order to get Ace out of the situation…it had all paid off. "You're free from that life now," she sweetly commented, leading Ace to cast his gaze aside. "Right…?"

"Sort of," he answered, causing her to slump and frown. "I joined Whitebeard's gang," he admitted then. "Fully."

"_Ace?_" Luffy practically whined. "That's what got you in trouble in the first place! I thought you were only helping him…?" When she went to slap his arm, he quickly jumped up from the bed.

"Hey, listen," he objected, avoiding her hard stare. "You got it all wrong, Luffy! He is different—he's nice and all about family…and he considers me family—a son!"

Sitting up straight, she pointed one finger his direction. "You have a family, though!"

"I know," Ace agreed, lifting his hands up to motion her to calm down. "And you all will always be my family, but I don't see the problem in me joining up with Whitebeard and his group. It will only mean more protection for us, don't you see that?"

Crossing her arms, Luffy refused on believing him. _How can he trust another person in the mob so easily…? He's just going to get us in trouble like he did with Teach!_ "Ace," she started, but failed to continue on due to her brother talking over her.

"_Luffy_," he started, silencing her. "You need to trust me on this, just like you wanted me to trust you on Crocodile. You implied that since you _lived_ there, you knew best—well, it's the same situation for me. I've been around that old man—he's a good person."

The frown dissolved from her face, leaving her blank of any emotion. _I was lying when I told him all of that…but there is no way I can tell him that now…_Exhaling, she allowed herself to relax, and after a long minute, she nodded. "Alright, I trust you."

Ace sported a thin smile then. "Good," he said, heading for the door to lean against it. "With all that said, I have some good news for you."

"What?"

"You don't have to go back," he answered, smile ever growing. "With Whitebeard's protection, I'll be able to keep you safe. And I don't need any more information on Crocodile—you're free from that life."

Blinking, Luffy couldn't help but frown at that. "Ace," she started, words trailing off. _I don't have to go back…_She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. Earlier, she pondered over the idea of her leaving for good, yet, to have Ace say those words... "I…I want to go back."

Ace tilted his head as an awkward laugh escaped him. "What? Are you joking?"

"No…" she answered, hands weaving together over her lap. "I like it there—working as a maid."

Ace's face went pale. "Luffy?" he began, voice a bit shaky as he left the door to approach her. "You _like_ it there?"

Swallowing, Luffy began to back track. "I mean…I like the pay," she explained, quickly so. "I like that it's warm there and there is an endless amount of food…"

His expression began to relax, relief taking over. "You had me worried there for a moment," he revealed, exhaling after. "But Luffy…I know all of those things are nice..."

"And the money I've been sending over _has_ helped—Gramps said so himself."

"I can provide for all of us now," Ace objected. "You don't have to worry about money…"

But it was more than money for Luffy, so much more and she couldn't even explain it to Ace. _I can't tell him the truth…_ "I…"

"You need some rest," he suggested then, hand reaching out to give her shoulder a firm pat. "You're obviously tired and not thinking right—so I'll leave, and you sleep, alright?"

"Ace," Luffy softly called out, unpleased with his choice to avoid the conversation.

"We'll talk about this in the morning," he said then, opening her door and slipping out.

Falling on her back, Luffy couldn't help but huff. _Yeah, sure we will._

* * *

Morning had come and gone and Luffy had yet to speak to her brother on the issue. He had avoided it the best he could until the time came for him to leave for work—surely something involving Whitebeard, she could only assume.

By afternoon's rise, Luffy left the house, heading straight for the center of the small town she grew up in. It wasn't much—nowhere as lively as the city, but it had a homey feeling to it, very welcoming and peaceful. She had only one purpose there, to use the phone located in the mailing building.

She rung through to the operator and asked to be directed to _him_, making sure to keep an eye out for any eavesdroppers. Three rings and he answered.

"_Hello?_" He sounded agitated—nothing new.

She remained quiet for a moment, blinking and coming back to reality when she heard him dryly exhale out another _hello._ "Uh, hello," she whispered, fingers tightening around the phone. The sound of his chair creaking came to life on the other end, and when he remained mute for too long, she added, "It's me, Luffy."

"_I know…where __**are**__ you?"_

Frowning at his angered tone, Luffy began to chew on her inner cheek.

"_Answer me."_

"I'm somewhere," she answered, unsure if she should tell him all the details.

"_Where_ _**exactly**__? Are you in any danger…? What happened…__**Where**__ are you?"_

As his voice began to grow, Luffy decided to cut into his questioning. "I'm fine," she informed him. "I went to visit family."

"_You went to visit family…?_" Crocodile remained silent for a moment. "_You left,__** again**_. _Without permission, no less…I can't believe you—after I had just finished telling you how dangerous it was out there, you run away."_

"I had to," she objected quietly.

"_Don't give me that as an excuse,"_ he retorted, frustration festering in his tone. Luffy could only imagine the heavy frown he was sporting at that moment. _"Do you have any idea how annoyingly frustrating it is to find you missing? And what am I to think, hmm? Either you've run off again or somebody has harmed you…"_

"I'm fine…"

"_For now!"_ A heavy exhaled escaped him, followed by a low hum. "_Where the hell are you?"_

Rolling her eyes, Luffy topped his huff with her own. "I told you already—I'm visiting family."

"_But where?_" he objected. "_Tell me the location and I'll have somebody go pick you up."_

"No," she argued. "I'm staying here for a few days. I need to do this for me."

"_You're being stubborn and I won't put up with it."_

She blew into the phone. "I don't _care_. I called to let you know I'm alright, but I doubt you care about that right now…I'll come back in a day or two."

"_**Wait…**_"

Luffy slammed the phone in place, terminating the call. Breathing heavier than normal, she turned to catch a few people staring her way, clearly interested in the big fuss she was making. With cheeks burning, she offered them a weak smile and scurried out, not realizing how upset she had grown in that short amount of time talking to Crocodile.

* * *

Two days had passed and Luffy had all her things pack for the leave.

"Write me more often, hmm?" Garp requested as he followed after Luffy from her room. "And don't feel shy about visiting again."

"She's not leaving," Ace countered. "Luffy, stop walking and listen to me."

Inhaling deeply, Luffy turned to glance back at her family. On one side, she had her grandfather, smile planted on his face—clearly oblivious to the truth. On the other side, she had her brother, expression hard and tone stressed. "You're not stopping me, Ace."

"Ace," Garp called out, hand landing on his shoulder to keep him back. "You're being a bother. Luffy can handle herself—she's proven as such. Let her continue working…stop holding her back."

"No, gramps," Ace objected, pulling away from the old man to follow Luffy out the front door. "Don't go back there."

"I have to," she answered, ignoring his pleading stare. "Listen to gramps—I can handle myself."

Ace touched her forearm, trying to gain her attention. "_Why?_"

Facing him, she tried her best to offer him a peaceful grin. "Just trust me, alright?" she requested of him, dropping her bag so she could throw him one last hug. "I need you to do that for me," she added softly in his earn, brows lowering when he returned the embrace.

"I…" Ace began, words trailing off.

"I'll see you again," she added, pulling away and picking up her bag. "That I promise."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Crocodile finally confronts Luffy about the recent events. In an attempt to make things better with her, he suggests a solution that puts Robin's life on the line.

* * *

**A/N:** Just in case you missed it in the last update, here is a link to the amazing artwork Mimurin drew that is of (NSFW) Crocodile &amp; maid Luffy, inspired by this story! It's truly beautiful and I recommend checking it out as well as Mimurin's art blog on Tumblr!

Mimurin. T UMBLR. C O M (SLASH) POST/136678417351/i-know-its-a-rare-pairing-but-00-can-you-do

(Just erase the spaces &amp; replace (slash) with "/"…This website is extremely difficult when it comes to sharing links)

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**VongolaDecima027:** Hahaha, yeah, Iceberg is acting real shady. I know I don't write it (because I really only stick to Luffy's POV) but other things do happen with the other characters that don't involve Luffy…In regards to Iceberg, I'll have explanations given in future chapters (and a little bit in part two of this story). Anyway, YOU HAVE AN IGUANA? That's amazing! They're such beautiful animals! :O Thank you so much for reading!

**Itachisgurl93:** hahaha, you're welcome! And thank you for reading!

**Sellen23:** Ahh, and I missed you! :"D I had an alright one! And I hope you had happy holidays yourself! Luffy Vs. Lucci will come, but in future chapters :D Thank you for reading!

**Starlight555:** Ahhh, we'll see what Iceburg did &amp; did not do. And Smoker is going to make a brief appearance at the end of this first half, but be heavily involved in the second. Ahh I hope you have a wonderful new year yourself! Thank you so much for reading!

**RazzleDazzlethetrashbabywhotriedtoleavethetrashcantheotherday&amp;breaktheirtrashmama'sheart**: Ahhh that's sounds adorable &amp; I'm the same way ahaha. Thank you so much! :D {3

**ManOfManyTales**: He was acting mighty suspicious, hahaha. You're on the right path! Thanks for reading!

**KillTrafalgarLaw**: If Sanji actually dies, Imma blame you lol &amp;&amp;&amp;&amp; yeah she left for a hot minute, but she's back for more old gross ugly vest loving croc d, but maybe she'll leave again, IDK. Thanks for reading!

**ForeverOffline**: Ahhh, Thank you for the compliments! I'm glad this story is causing you to have all these feelings! Thank you so much for reading!

**Finnish Guest:** Ohmygosh Thank you! There will be more Doffy &amp; Law in the near future, I promise. And in part wo, there is going to be ten times more Law. Thank you for reading!


	45. Revenge

**To Serve at his Command|** Revenge

A cold rain was falling outside, hitting the roof hard and scattering across the window behind his desk. Luffy focused on the droplets of water trailing down the glass, body slumped back in the chair he had her sit in, as if a child awaiting a lecture. The very moment she had arrived back at the mansion, Crocodile had summoned her to his office, to address her most recent outing.

A heavy frown took to his face, and no matter how hard she tried not to look, Luffy couldn't help but glance and meet his stare. Studying her for a long moment, he began to tap the edge of his armrest, leaving the maid to shift uncomfortably in her seat as she waited for whatever he had to say.

When he remained mute for too long to bear, Luffy let out a small exhale, glancing to his fingers for a mere second. "Are you going to say anything…?" she questioned.

Resting his hand, Crocodile waited for her to glance up before speaking. "I'm thinking of where to begin, actually," he admitted when they locked eyes. "There is just so much to discuss, yet I fear that anything I say will just go through one ear and out the other."

"Then maybe we shouldn't even have this conversation," Luffy suggested, watching as his unamused expression didn't falter.

"No," he countered dryly, shifting in his seat so he could relax. "We're having this conversation whether you like it or not—there is no way around it."

Swallowing, Luffy remained perfectly still in her seat, as stiff as a statue. She knew full well he was on the verge of blowing up—he just had to be. Him remaining as calm as he was now left her uneasy, nervous as to what was going through his head at the moment. "You're usually yelling by this point," she braved to remark, making sure to study his expression to catch any change. "Are you not mad?"

Crocodile gave a slight shrug. "I had a long night with little sleep," he admitted. "But do not mistake my current tone as a true reflection on my feelings towards your recent choices. No, I am not mad—I'm _pissed_."

Luffy began to chew on her inner cheek, hands folding together over her lap as she tried to think of a way to explain her reasons for leaving. _Just tell him the truth_, she told herself, brows lowering as she caught a look of annoyance cross his face—most likely due to her silence. _Tell him you wanted to go visit your family…_

"I," she began, licking her dry lower lip quickly, "just wanted to go see my family." It was all she could spit out at the moment.

"You've already informed me of that desire," Crocodile tiredly commented. "My concern, however, is why you felt it was a _wise_ idea to act upon such desires without informing me first."

"I didn't realize I needed your permission to see them," she countered, tone growing hard. It annoyed her so to think over all the times he gave her grief for wanting to do things he should have no control over. _They're __**my**__ family—why should he have any say if I see them or not._

Tilting his head, he offered her a hard stare. "It goes beyond permission," he explained, clearly angry at her response. "You seem to be oblivious to the situation at hand—there are people out there who want to do us harm, and yet here you are, opening yourself up as an easy target."

"They're out to harm _you_," Luffy corrected, crossing her arms then. "If anything, I'm putting myself out of danger by visiting my family across the state."

"Without any word to me about it?" Crocodile questioned, sitting up straight. Tapping one finger on his desk in her direction, he quickly added, "I don't appreciate finding you gone without any ideas as to where—what am I to think? With everything that's been going on…" When Luffy remained silent, he shook his head and continued on. "I've come to determine that you're either upset with me and this is your idea of punishment, or you're simply just lashing out to cope with what's happen."

"To cope…?" Mouthing his words, Luffy narrowed her stare, searching his eyes quickly. _He means the loss…_His words were almost true in a sense—she _was_ upset with him, upset that he failed to bring up what happened or even visit her in her time of recovering. _But it can't always be about him, though,_ she thought to herself. The first time she left, that was for her—to confront Lucci and deliver the justice that she thought he deserved. Her second outing was for her once again, to visit family and heal mentally and physically—as if she were taking a break from the madness that seemed to thrive in the mansion. Refusing to say anything before leaving was the only thing she could see as her way of lashing out at him. "You didn't say anything to me during the days I laid in bedrest, so why should I have said anything to you?" she finally asked.

Crocodile widened his stare only slightly, breathing slow as he studied her hard expression. "It seems it's a little bit of both," he murmured, falling back in his seat. "Was it wrong of me to allow you time to recover?"

Frowning, Luffy grew annoyed at his tone, as if he had made some remarkable point. "You could have visited at least once," she countered firmly.

"If you wished to have me visit, then you should have informed Tsuru to come fetch me," he objected, matching her tone. "I'll have you know, I'm no mind reader."

Exhaling, Luffy threw a glance towards the window, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. "Everybody else came without me asking," she said before meeting his stare once again.

Smirking slightly, Crocodile simply said, "I'm not like everybody else."

She couldn't help but feel taken aback by his cold approach to the subject. It puzzled her that he seemingly saw nothing wrong by his actions, as if he, himself, didn't go through the same loss. He acted as if it only concerned her and her alone. Arching a brow, Luffy found herself facing an entirely new idea. "Do you blame me for what happened?" she questioned softly. _Is that why he didn't come visit me…? Does he think I'm at fault for the attack…for going outside and becoming an easy target?_

Crocodile's lips fell slightly ajar, expression softening as he pondered over her question. When he made no means to respond, Luffy continued, her stomach growing in knots as she started to convince herself that perhaps it was true. "You think it's my fault, don't you? For putting myself in the position to get attacked so easily…" With her gaze falling to the desk, Luffy began to wonder if it truly was her fault.

_I should have known better,_ she frantically thought, throat growing ever dryer. _I should have known the dangers and risks…_

Inhaling, Crocodile lifted his hand briefly to stop her. "I don't want to discuss what happened that day," he began.

"_Why?_" Luffy snapped, cutting him off. "_**I**_ want to talk about it. I want to know why it happened and who was behind it."

Shifting in his seat, he offered Luffy a thin frown. "I'll make sure those behind the attack will get what they deserve." Pausing, he took a moment to himself, as if thinking over his next sentence. "That's all I have to say about that right now; however, I'm not finished discussing your newfound habit of running off without a single word."

Huffing, she shook her head. "I don't have any more to say about that," she retorted in a mocking tone.

Half-groaning in agitation, Crocodile flexed his hand into a fist on his desk. "You're being difficult," he commented. "And _stubborn._ I'veexplained to you in the past the dangers of going out, and yet, you've failed to listen. I would think the attack would really illustrate my point…"

Luffy stiffened in her seat. "So you're saying it is my fault?"

"_No,_" he quickly countered. "That isn't what I meant at all."

"Then why does it matter if I leave for a day or two?" she questioned then, leaning forward in her seat to rest her hands on the edge of the desk. "Anyone who has gone through what I have living in this mansion would have left for good, but I didn't—I came back."

"Is that what you want then?" he asked, tone sharp. "To _leave_?"

"I wouldn't be sitting here right now if that were true," Luffy countered with a dry exhale. _But is it worth it to stay if I'm just going to have to go through all this stress again?_

Motioning to his office door, Crocodile threw her a hard look. "Obviously living here has become tiresome for you. If you wish to leave, the door is right there."

"You wouldn't let me," Luffy shot back, taken aback by his new suggestion.

"That hasn't stopped you before."

Shaking her head, the maid arose, tired of the conversation. "All I wanted was somebody to talk to during those few days in bed—somebody who shared the same loss as me." Pausing, she found herself pressing her hand to her lower abdomen. "I can't just throw things aside like that," she admitted. "To act as if it never happened…but if you can, then maybe it's best if I do leave."

With expression blank, Crocodile simply replied, "If you do, don't dare come back."

Without another word, Luffy left him alone in his office. There was nothing else she could say then, a mixture of anger, frustration, hurt, and defeat swimming around in her gut. Truly, she didn't want to leave—she still felt too strongly emotionally dependent on the man, but for him to dismiss her with such ease left her feeling unwanted and used.

_Maybe I should leave in the morning, _she thought as she closed the office door behind her. _Coming back was clearly a waste of time…_

* * *

Late in the night she sat on the laundry room floor, folding blankets and sheets. It kept Luffy's mind off of the earlier conversation. She knew that eventually, by morning's start, she would have a choice to make, but at that precise moment, she had no desire or energy to use up pondering on what ifs.

Inhaling deeply, she brought the next blanket up to her chest, feeling its soft embrace and allowing herself to relax slightly. It smelt like lavender—some new soap Tsuru had bought from a tinker in the city. It had dried from its wash the day prior, but felt cold from the icy temperatures outside.

Dropping it to her lap, she began to work her way to one of the corners in order to fold it. She didn't even notice another enter the room until he was standing right before her.

Blinking, she glanced up and met Crocodile's wild eyes, lips barely parted as if he had something desperate to day. When he knelt down to her level, she couldn't help but lean back an inch, surprised by the close proximity.

"I'm sorry for what's happened," he began, tone soft. "I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through, especially with the pregnancy." Pausing, his gaze fell from hers, eyes searching something that she couldn't pick up on. "I should have done a better job at keeping you—both you and the baby—safe." Licking his lower lip, he met her wide eyed stare. "I didn't want to talk about what happened because I've failed you. I'm angry about what happened—angry at those who hurt you and angry at myself for allowing it to happen."

"…" Remaining silent, Luffy watched as he reached out for her face, the tips of his fingers just barely tracing her cheek before retracting.

"I thought it was you who blamed me for what happened," he admitted. "I thought you were running off because you were angry that I failed to protect you." The words poured from his thin lips fast and sloppy, a polar opposite to the man she was used to. His stare searched hers for a long silent moment. "I don't blame you—none of this could have been your fault."

"I don't blame you either," Luffy finally said, lifting her hand up from the blanket to cup the back of his over her cheek.

His Adam's apple bobbed and his expression grew hard and determined. "I will _destroy_ those who did this to you…to _us_. I swear to you that their deaths will be slow and painful, and when I do this…when I do this, things will become better for us. We'll be able to move on from this event after I hunt them down."

Arching her brows, Luffy tried to shake her head _no._ She knew exactly who he blamed for the attack. When she went to object, he quickly began to speak once more, cutting her off.

"I'm going to take my gang out to _her_ estate and end them tonight," he revealed, hand pulling away from her face as he began to arise. "They're not going to get away with this."

"No," Luffy objected in a whine, reaching up for his hand to draw him back down. When he failed to follow her lead, she threw him a heavy frown. "It's not Robin—she had nothing to do with the attack."

He shook his head. "Who else could it have been?" he questioned. "Nobody besides a select few living in the mansion knew the truth, but _she _did. And you saw how upset she was upon learning it, remember?" A look of disgust took to his face, as if he were recalling the memory in his mind. "Is it not odd that the attack happened so soon after her discovering the truth?"

"It _wasn't_ Robin," Luffy stressed, standing up to stop him when he began to leave.

"You're naïve for still putting your trust in her," Crocodile countered, halting when she placed her hand on his forearm. When he cocked a glance back to meet her worried expression, he softly added, "You have no idea how much this woman has betrayed you."

Pulling away from her, he went down the hallway and for the stairs. "I'm going to do this for our loss," he called out as he headed up, her trailing quickly after him. "I know you can't face the truth, but I can."

"_Wait_," Luffy tried to object as they reached his bedroom. "You can't just drive all the way out there and kill them!"

"I can and will," Crocodile responded as he went for his desk, pulling one of the drawers open and eyeing the contents for a long moment. "Where is it…?" Shaking his head, he pulled away from the desk and headed for his closet. "I have other weapons…"

"_Stop!_" Luffy cried out, heart pounding fast in her chest. "This won't solve anything."

Approaching her, coat over his shoulder, Crocodile offered her a weak smirk. "That may be true, but revenge makes me feel a hell of a lot better." Touching her cheek gently, his gaze softened a bit. "Don't wait up for me. It's going to be a long night—I'll make sure of it."

In horror, Luffy watched from his bedroom window as he took to one of his cars, Daz and Bon Clay already dressed and ready for the attack. From his words, she could only imagine he had others waiting nearby as well. When the three of them drove off into the night, she found herself biting her lower lip hard, almost breaking the skin.

With shaky hands, she went for his telephone, picking up the receiver with pitchy breath. Speaking to the operator, words a stumbled mess, she made her request for Nico Oliva's estate.

Four rings and she got through.

"_Yes?_"

Nami's voice was ever sweet and gentle, a reminder of better days.

"N-Nami," Luffy stuttered out, teeth chattering and blood rushing.

"_Who…Luffy?_"

"Nami," Luffy repeated, trying her best to control her speech. "Listen to me…"

"_Luffy, why are you calling at such an hour? What could you possibly have to say?"_

"You have to _listen_ to me," the maid quickly explained, ignoring Nami's hard tone. "Crocodile is heading over there right now to kill Robin—he's taking his men and guns and I really think he means it…"

"…" Nami remained silent.

"I _swear_ to you this is the truth," Luffy quickly added. The thought of Nami not believing her terrified her even more than she already was.

"_Okay,_" Nami answer, voice soft. "_I…I have to go and tell the others. Thank you…"_ The phone connection was ended then on Nami's behalf, leaving Luffy to grip her receiver tightly.

She remained still for a long three minutes, eyes wide and gazing out the window. Inhaling deeply, she pressed the receiver down to its holder and slowly made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Crocodile had told her not to wait up, but how could she? How could she possibly sleep knowing that he had every intention to brutally murder her friends?

_Do they have enough time to escape?_ She wondered as she reached the base of the stairs, hand tight and sweaty on the railing. _I should have told him about Lucci…about his threats and the likelihood of him being responsible for the attack._

With widening eyes, Luffy went for the social room, sitting down on one of the couches in the dark. The air felt heavy on her shoulders, her heart sinking into a numbing pit of despair. _If he murders her…I'll never forgive him…I can't…I…_

_I'll never forgive myself._

* * *

He came back before dawn.

She heard the front door open and close, eyes inching towards the entrance to the social room. He found her passing by in the hallway, stopping and throwing a glance her way, searching the dark room.

When he sat to her side on the couch, she couldn't help by study him silently for any blood. His clothes remained clean—a bit disheveled, but free of any blood or evidence of murder. After a long moment, she turned her stare away from him.

"Did you do it?" she asked, tone blank of any emotion.

"She wasn't there," he answered. He sounded almost upset, as if let down. "None of them were there—the estate was complexly abandoned."

Luffy's stare widened slightly and her heart skipped a beat. A small smile began to tug at the corner of her lip. _They all got out in time…_

"I have Daz and the others still looking around for them," he added quietly. "Most of their furniture and clothing are still there, as if they left in a hurry…"

They sat in silence for what felt an eternity, Luffy blissfully happy, and Crocodile sourly disappointed. When his hand fell on top of hers, she turned her head to search the side of his face, taking in his tired eyes and the sad look they held.

"I know you don't want to believe that she would do this to you," he started, failing to meet her stare, "but you need to understand that it isn't _good_ to trust others. You give your trust to another and they'll use it to hurt you." Arising, he offered her one last glance. "I'm moving away from this mansion by the end of this week—you can either come along with me or go back to your family. The choice is entirely up to you."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Does Luffy move away with Crocodile or does she go back to her family?

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Annark21**: Ahh, thank you! And yes to more Croclu, haha! Thanks for reading!

**VongolaDecima027**: Ah, that's so adorable! I'm so jealous! Verde is a super awesome name for an iguana! :D I hope you have many amazing years with it! A lot goes on outside of Luffy's POV, and I know that can be frustrating because it would be nice to know exactly *what* that is, but when I start writing part two, I'm going to do it in multiple POVs so that the story covers more of what's happening. Thanks for reading!

**Itachisgurl93:** That would be the biggest plot twist ever holy shit xD Thanks for reading, hahaha!

**ManOfManyTales**: Hahaha, love is a strong word to use at this point lol Emotionally dependent, yes, very much so, haha. It's a mixture of everything, really. The food and pay is really nice, but the attention and the feeling of being wanted in that way is better. Thanks for reading! :D

**Finnish Guest**: Ahh! Thank you so much! I'm so happy that this story is good enough to keep you coming back! Thank you so much for reading!

**One Piece Naruto sl oc fan**: Hey! I'm actually going to throw in a lot more Boa/Luffy loving in part two, like a *lot* more! This first half only has 7 chapters left, sooooo, your request might be fulfilled soon! Thanks for reading!

**RazzleDazzleOkayIForgiveYou&amp;WelcomeYouBackWithOpenTrashyArms**: Ahhh hahaha thanks xD!

**Staticy Fox Atra**: Just one more part! xD haha But I am going to take a break after finishing this first part before starting the second, so I can work on a few short stories. I will treat part two sort of like a sequel, where it will be mostly Luffy/Law, but also Luffy working on other issues outside of romantic relationships. It will also be a closure to what happens to Luffy&amp;Croc at the end of part one and such. Thanks for reading!

**Milkachocolate**: Ahh Thank you so much! I'm glad that you got such a reaction out of angry killing mode Luffy ready to kick some major butt :O I plan to have more of that soon! Thank you so much for reading!

**Sellen23**: Ah! Thank you so much!


	46. The Calm Before the Storm

**To Serve at his Command|** The Calm before the Storm

Even after recent rainfall, the air was heavy with the smell of fish and sea salt. The tides drew in high, combing over the sand and pebbles, and reflecting little stars upon its watery surface. Luffy sat on the sand beside the once gardener now promoted butler, eyes glued out at the miles of water before them.

They had arrived to the beach villa that morning, spent the good portion of the day tidying the place up and unpacking, and finally slinking off into the nooks of the estate and depths of the beach for a moments rest by late evening. While it wasn't even close to the size of the mansion back in the city, the villa proved to be more than appeasing to the eye than the mansion could ever be.

Luffy, however, found herself at a loss for words when it came to the move. It had taken her the good part of the past week to come up with a final decision—choosing to follow after Crocodile to his _secret protective location_, as he liked to call it. While yes, it meant she was even farther away from her family than she already was, it also meant she could still be near her employer, somebody she wasn't _exactly_ ready to cut out of her life for good. But that still didn't mean she couldn't feel uneasy for taking such a path. They seemingly distanced themselves from everything that _appeared_ to be a problem, but the weight on her shoulders didn't budge in the slightest.

Frowning slightly, the young maid glanced down to the plate of lemon cake crumbs on her lap. Her appetite had returned to normal, however, something she was rather happy to have back. Food was one of, it not, _the_ biggest comforts in her life, having this special way of making everything feel alright, even if it be for a spilt second.

"Luffy," Usopp called out, earning her attention. He picked at his piece of cake for a moment, lips pursing as if he were thinking of what to say. "Do you like it here?" he questioned finally, lifting his stare to meet hers.

Sniffing a little bit, Luffy offered him a slight shrug.

"It's…_different_," Usopp added softly, brows lowering. "I like the rooms—they're nicer than the ones back at the mansion," he said with a soft smile. "And the ocean is pretty, especially at night, but…"

"Hmm?" Luffy hummed curiously.

"But there isn't many plants here for me to tend to," he admitted weakly, fighting back an embarrassed laugh. "I don't care much for all the cleaning and chores that you usually do."

"Oh," she mouthed, matching his thinning smile. "I know," she agreed, casting her gaze back to the waters. "It's not very fun." Pausing for a moment, she found herself pouting, eyes trailing back over to her friend. Gently, she asked, "Can I ask you something?"

Blinking, Usopp answered with a quick nod, clearly concerned over her new tone.

Luffy's gaze fell briefly. "Can I eat your cake? You've been picking at it for a while now, and if you're not going to eat it…"

Exhaling heavily, Usopp returned her hungry stare with a deadpan one, handing over the plate with an amused laugh escaping him. "Fine, fine," he said, smirking when she began to greedily stab at it with her fork. "You really like it that much, huh?"

"Yes," she answer, voice muffled through the food in her mouth. "It isn't as good as Sanji's cooking, but…" But it was a close second. The new chef—known simply as Miss Valentine—was talented when it came to adding lemons to her dishes. While she was initially hired on years ago as just another one of Crocodile's mob members, her few tricks in the kitchen had upgraded her to the role of temporary chef.

"I wonder what he's doing right now," Usopp said, folding his legs up so he could rest his arms across his knees. "I'm pretty sure Sanji said he'd come back for us or something…" Smirking softly, he quietly added, "I'd love to see the look on his face when he doesn't find us at the mansion…Do you think we'll ever go back home?"

Swallowing, Luffy remained silent for a long moment, unsure of how to exactly answer that.

"Ah," Usopp cheerfully began before she could answer, "I'm sure this is only temporary—we'll be back there before you know it!"

"You miss the gardens, huh?" Luffy questioned before pressing the now empty plate upon the sand.

He nodded silently.

Digging the tips of her shoes into the sand, Luffy parted her lips to lick her dry lower lip. They sat in silence after that for a good half hour, taking in each other's company and watching the waves dance before them.

* * *

She found him in her room—his room—_their_ room. The lack of bedrooms in the villa meant that there wasn't an option for everybody to have their own accommodations, and Crocodile had decided for the _both_ of them that they would share one to save space.

Leaning against the armrest of a couch, he offered her one glance when she entered before returning his attention back to the paperwork in hand. Most of his luggage lay strung about, an utter mess that still needed to be tended to. Her own items—all packed tightly into one carry case—were tucked against the corner of the room, gently so and untouched.

Taking to the edge of the bed, Luffy watched him, studying his tired eyes and heavy frown. He looked exhausted to say the least, clearly worn out from the move.

_That, and there must be a lot on his mind right now,_ she figured, tucking in her legs before falling to her side. The bed felt soft, like feathers, slowly sucking away any energy she had within.

"You smell like the ocean," Crocodile finally commented minutes later.

"The ocean is _right_ there," she retorted. "You should go outside and see how nice it looks under the moonlight."

Tossing the letters he had in hand aside, he offered her a dull stare. "I don't care much for the sea," he admitted. "I was never one for water and getting wet."

Exhaling silently, Luffy rolled over to lie flat on her back, studying the wooden ceiling above. "Then why move us all out beside the beach?" She could hear him shift in his seat and when she titled her head his direction, she caught him kicking his legs up on top the other armrest.

"I told you," he began dryly, "this is one of the safest properties I have on this side of the country. I would _prefer_ to head out west, to Nevada, but distancing myself from Teach, Doflamingo, Iceberg, and all the others wouldn't be wise at this point and time." Meeting her stare, he motioned to the bag beside her on the bed. "Open that up and hand me one of the bottles," he ordered, prompting her to follow his gaze. "It was all I could manage to bring with me at the time…"

Sitting up, she undid the bag and found a few bottles of liquor upon some clothes. "Which one?" she questioned, pulling out a bottle of what appeared to be whiskey.

"No," he answered, throwing her a slight frown. "Look for a wine bottle—red."

Pressing the whisky down, she dug around until she found what he so desired. Lifting it away from the bag, she was met with an approving nod.

"I'm thinking of heading that way after we take down Teach," Crocodile continued as Luffy approached him. Taking the bottle, he undid the cork with his teeth, spitting it across the room soon after.

Cocking a brow, Luffy watched him as he took a sip directly from the bottle.

Swallowing, he pressed the bottom of the bottle to his lower abdomen, motioning to the empty space on the couch. "Sit," he ordered, smirking when he caught her puzzled expression. "I know—drinking straight from it isn't as _elegant_ as I typically like to do things, but I'm too tired for manners tonight."

Taking to the couch, Luffy pressed herself gently against his bent leg, using it as leverage. Her elbow took to his knee so she could prop the side of her face into her palm. "You look tired," she commented.

"I am," he agreed before taking another drink. "Moving is so _tedious_…" As he casted his gaze away towards the luggage, a thin frown developed. "There is so much to go through, so much to organize," he slowly murmured, more to himself than to Luffy. Meeting her stare, he smirked, exhaled, and finally admitted, "I have half a mind to just leave everything where it is."

"It's not _that_ messy," Luffy observed as she glanced to the floor, a small pout playing with her lips. To her, it was rather clean—but her definition of such a word differed from many others. "Why don't you just pile your suitcases in the closet…?"

"I need to find something," Crocodile objected.

Humming, she shifted in her seat, so that she could get a better look at all his luggage. "What?" she questioned, curious to what he sought. "I can help you find it."

Shaking his head, he drew her attention back by touching the back of her hand that lay in her lap. "No," he said, earning a puzzled look from her. "I'll find it—there is no need for you to mess everything up more than it already is searching for it."

"Oh," she mouthed, stare falling to his hand. It had been the first time in weeks he had touched her so gently. Since the attack, they seldom shared any _close_ moments, and such a gesture left Luffy alert.

They sat mute after that for a few minutes, him taking the occasional sip of his drink, and Luffy observing him.

Pressing the bottle between himself and Luffy's outer thigh, he lifted his gaze to search hers. "Are you still in pain?" he asked, hand resting beside her knee.

Stiffening, Luffy gave a single nod. "Not as much as those first days, though," she said, hand curling in to touch her waist. "The bruises are beginning to fade, I think…it's hard to tell without a mirror."

His lips partly barely as his eyes followed her hand. After a moment of saying nothing, he quietly asked, "Can I see?"

Widening her stare, Luffy found herself stiff, unsure of how to answer. It puzzled her to think he wanted to see the ugly patches of bruises on her skin. Her lips parted ways, yet the words were caught in her throat, and when she felt his hand press gently to the side of her waist, she allowed a soft exhale to escape her.

She nodded, hands reaching up to unbutton her dress collar. When her fingers found the smooth surface of the button, she paused, eyes lifting to catch him studying her intently. Biting on her lower lip, she continued on, undoing the row before standing up and pulling the rest of her outer clothing off.

Her skin prickled to the cold air, hands aching to stop what she was doing and rub some warmth upon her arms. Instead, she silently lifted the hem of her slip past her stockings and undergarment and pulled it up just below her chest, allowing the bruises to become fully visible. Luffy studied his eyes, watching as they widened slightly as he stared at her, brows starting to lower. He looked sad at first, lips forming a thin frown, and then anger took to him before finally morphing into a blank stare.

When he lifted his hand up to trace the brown and yellow patterns on her flesh, Luffy shuttered. Although gentle, his touch pained her.

His fingers retracted quickly, eyes lifting up to meet hers.

Luffy allowed the slip to escape her hands and fall back into place, the hem hovering around her calves. "I don't like looking at it," she admitted, gaze falling to her waist. "It seems to hurt more whenever I do…"

Crocodile nodded, expression relaxing and settling back into a look of understanding. "I didn't like to look at my scars when I first got them," he admitted as he drew her back to the couch. Sitting up, he worked her back against his knees and thighs, hand lifting up to trace her jawline. "It reminds me of my enemies," he added quietly. His gaze fell to her neck. "Your bruises remind me of my enemies…"

When he met her lips with his own, Luffy leaned forward, wrapping her arm around his neck to greedily take in his affection. It felt nice at that moment, to have him act so gentle and caring, something the maid longed after for such a long time. She could taste the wine on his lips, feel the warmth of his chest against hers, and when his hand began to fall down her body to her thigh, her heart skipped a beat.

She stopped it when he started to take things further, lips pulling away from his and hands falling to his chest. "No," she whispered softly. Parts of her body still ached from the attack, and to go any farther than they had would more than likely leave her in regret. "Not yet," she added when his gaze lifted to search hers. "It still hurts…"

Crocodile remained silent for a moment, hand resting upon her hip. He nodded then, eyes fluttering shut as his forehead pressed to hers. "You should sleep then," he said, fingers tapping softly along her hip. Pulling away from her, he motioned to the bed. "Go—I still have things I need to find."

"You really don't need any help?" Luffy questioned as she arose from the couch.

He shook his head. "It's best if I just deal with it," he countered, swinging his legs off the armrest and planting his feet to the floor. Yawning, he took the bottle of wine and had himself another sip before pressing it firmly to the floor. "I'll try not to wake you."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** A final meeting is called into order before the attack on Blackbeard and his gang is started. Luffy finally confronts Law and she tells him the news about the pregnancy.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Killtrafalgarlaw**: Don't worry :O I will make Lucci &amp; Luffy canon, I swear! Thanks for reading!

**Sellen**: Flustered Crocodile is very fun to write :3c Thanks for reading!

**RazzleDazzle:** hahaha, yes, I will always accept you in the trashcan! Luffy does seriously need to bring up Lucci &amp; stop trying to him out without any help Thanks for reading!

**Itachisgurl**: hahaha things would go _so_ much easier if Luffy just mentioned Lucci already to Crocodile. Thanks for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Ah, no need to worry! Luffy followed after Croc—I just wrote that question in the "next time" to add drama and tension, haha. Thanks for reading!

**Kiki's Cat:** Ahhh, yes, a lot has happened recently! And that certain individual is going to have a *strong* reaction next chapter, almost as strong as Crocodile's reaction to the LawLu that was going on :O Thanks for reading!

**RainbowManVan:** They're all stubborn, hahaha Yeah, Luffy is very trusting of her friends, and Crocodile is like…untrusting of everybody. I can see how it would be hard for them to agree on something as who done it. Thanks for reading!

**Loogoo**: Ahh! Thank you so much!

**Finnish Guest:** Ah! Thank you! And thank you for reading!


	47. Hurt

***A few weeks have passed since the last chapter**

**To Serve at his Command**| Hurt

The warehouse was alive with the sound of gangs and corrupted governmental officials plotting. With the arrival of Crocodile and his group late afternoon, all four leaders were present for the final meeting to plan the attack on Teach, each agitated and ready to get everything underway.

Following after her employer, Luffy glanced this way and that, taking in familiar faces as well as new ones. Crocodile had more of his gang with him than usually, with the addition of one Miss Doublefinger, and one Miss Goldenweek—a teen it appeared. The man who Crocodile had tortured so many months ago was there as well, known as Mr. Three, and Luffy found it strange how quiet and obeying he was even after such an incident.

_I would have run away the second I had the chance,_ Luffy thought when she first saw him, taking in his observing stare.

Besides those three, Bon Clay and Daz had attended as well, seemingly more interested in starting a fight with each other rather than anything else. Miss Valentine and Luffy were the last to enter the warehouse, however, with the blonde following after the maid rather protectively, as if given the order to do so.

Crocodile _had_ given Luffy the option to stay at the villa, but to do so meant she would miss out on any crucial information _as well_ as a chance to face Lucci. The only reason she was sure he allowed her to come was because she lied and said she'd feel unsafe at the villa without him there to protect her, something she knew he'd take some pride in hearing.

The other gangs had brought in curious amounts of members as well. From the back of the meeting room, Luffy could spot Doflamingo pestering one exhausted looking Mayor. The pink bird had his group nearby, an equal size to Crocodile's. Luffy noticed Law first, sitting with his arms crossed and gaze to the floor, and to his right sat Corazon, expression disapproving as he observed his older brother. Behind them sat a few faces she recognized, Trebol the blob of a man and the dark haired woman who had visited the mansion long ago—Violet, Luffy believed. Across the room, however, sat two new faces—a man with long blue hair that seemed the spike back like flames, and a young woman with a cigarette hanging loosely from her lips.

Iceburg, however, took to a smaller number, all people Luffy could easily recognize: Kalifa, Kaku, and of course, Lucci. Seeing him sitting at the back of the room with such an easy going expression left Luffy uncomfortable. Anger seemed to build up in her core, hands flexing into fists for a mere second. She wanted nothing more than to confront him at that moment, but she kept her lips tightly shut.

Luffy knew she would have her chance to act, and soon if she was clever about it.

Hancock was the last group for Luffy to notice. The older woman was seated at the window ledge, eyes gazing through the fogged up glass with a drink in hand. She had her girls with her, Marguerite and the blonde that she never learned a name to—there were no others.

It appeared that everybody was accounted for, the main room they planned to have their meeting in completely packed. When Crocodile made his presence known, the room came to life even more than it was, with Doflamingo turning his attention to him and squawking out for attention, and Hancock growing pink in the face as she turned away from the window.

Stiffening, Luffy caught the flustered stares and smiles being throw her way from the Madame, eyes wide, glistening, and beckoning the maid to approach her. Instead, Luffy took after Crocodile, acting as if she didn't notice any of Hancock's flamboyant expressions.

Her employer took to the seat vacant beside Iceburg, ignoring the equally frustrating amount of unneeded attention given to him by Doflamingo. Luffy sat back a few feet on one of the only available chairs, taking to the edge so that Miss Valentine had room to sit down as well.

"You're late," Iceburg commented dully as he threw Crocodile a quick glance. His gaze turned to Luffy soon after, expression growing blank for a mere second. He offered her a nod of acknowledgment before turning his attention back to Crocodile. "But I am glad you're finally here, though," he admitted as he gestured to the ball of pink feathers beside him. "He's been bugging me nonstop for the past half hour."

"_Fufufufu_," Doflamingo chuckled out, throwing one arm across the back of Iceburg's chair so he could lean towards Crocodile. "I'm glad you're here finally as well—this mayor of yours isn't as easy to annoy as you are."

A look of disgust took to Crocodile to match Iceburg's expression. "I arrived on time," he countered, tone uninterested as he threw his gaze aside. "It's not any of my concern that you lot decided to arrive earlier than what was agreed."

Shrugging Doflamingo's arm off his chair, the mayor exhaled lightly and offered Crocodile a smirk in return. "The only reason we're starting so late in the day is because of your request to do so—sometimes I forget that you require more beauty sleep than the rest of us."

"You're starting to sound like that bird," Crocodile shot back, throwing the two of them an annoyed stare. His brow arched slightly. "Has he started to rub off on you?"

"Don't dare ask such a question," the mayor objected as a frown began to play with his lips. "The thought of doing _anything_ with that man makes me shuttered—I can barely stand him as it is."

Tapping his slender fingers atop the table, Doflamingo allowed a whine of a hum escape him. "You all act like as if I'm not here," he said, pouting. "If you're going to talk about me so negatively, at least look me in the eyes while doing so."

"How can we?" Iceburg questioned, cocking a glance back at Doflamingo. "I can't even make out any eyes behind those glasses of yours."

Smiling, the blonde offered him a slight shrug in return. "I bet if you ask…_nicely_, I can give you a quick peak, _fufufufu_." Tapping the tip of his finger against the tip of Iceburg's nose, he proceeded to make a _pop_ sound.

"_Don't_," Iceburg ordered sternly, slapping the blonde's hand away from his face.

Turning her attention away from the bickering men, Luffy threw her glance down the room, catching two sets of eyes on her. The first, wide and observing, with thin brows arched and lips parted barely—Law had a look of concern to his face. The other, narrowed and unwelcoming, almost grim in a sense—Lucci had a look of disinterest to him.

Avoiding their stares, she glanced to her feet, hands coming together to fold over her lap. _I have to confront __**both**__ of them today,_ she thought as she began to pick at one of her fingers. She had a coat dawned on, but it was thin and would have easily given away sign of her being pregnant—so Law's look of concern was understandable. Within one of the coat pockets, however, was the gun she had _borrowed _from Crocodile a month or so prior. While Luffy was originally nervous about Crocodile growing uneasy about the gun's disappearance, she was happy to find that he simply chucked it up to misplacing it during the move.

The gun was hers as of that moment, and she had every intention of using it.

Her high pitched cry cut through the maid's thoughts with ease. "Luffy!" Hancock whimpered as her hands shot out to embrace Luffy. She was quickly engulfed into the older woman's bust, breath escaping her as the arms began to tighten around her body. "Oh, my love!" the woman continued on, prompting Miss Valentine to squeak out and jump up from their seat.

Pulling away from Hancock, Luffy lifted her gaze and offered her a thin smile. "Ah, hello…" she weakly greeted, falling back in the seat and flinching when Hancock went in for another hug.

"My love, my darling!" Hancock sweetly sang, a pink tint forming upon her cheeks as she took to the spot that Miss Valentine had been sitting on. With fingers weaving through Luffy's, the older woman pressed her cheek to hers, smiling all the while. "It's been forever since we last saw each other, but do not worry! I thought of you every day since!"

"Oh," Luffy tried to start, falling short when Hancock continued on.

"And I'm sure you thought of me," she gushed. Her free hand went to her own jaw, fingers lifting to trace her lower lip. "I can only _imagine_ what thoughts you had of me…"

"Damn, Boa," Doflamingo called out, turning his attention away from Iceburg and Crocodile. "I can hear you moaning and melting all the way over here!" His tongue slide out across his lips, a twinkle seemingly coming to life upon his glasses. "Perhaps I'm chatting up the wrong bunch? It seems the party is over there, _fufufufufu_…"

Throwing him a fat frown, Hancock allowed a low growl to escape her. "Don't dare speak to me like that, you indecent creature! I would never dare to invite you to any party of mine."

"Ah," Doflamingo countered softly with a thin pout, "I think you missed the point there…" Pressing his elbow to the back of Iceburg's chair, he slyly added, "How about we wrap this meeting up and I show you what I mean by _party_?"

"Are you insulting my intelligence?" Hancock cried out before arising from her seat to throw one thin finger his way. "I do not take kindly to insults!"

Exhaling heavily, Crocodile turned slightly in his seat to throw them all a disapproving glare. "Stop screeching like children," he firmly ordered. "We're all already agitated to be cramped up in this room, do you think it wise to start a fight?"

"Listen," Doflamingo countered with a wave of his hand, "the only thing I'm trying to start is some loving, alright? But, if you wanna get a little _rough_, I won't stop you."

The loud clearing of one's throat prompted half of the room to turn their attention towards Iceburg's portion of the room. Adjusting her glasses, Kalifa gave a stiff nod before scooting forward to the edge of her seat. "I have something important to say about all this," she announced.

"Kalifa…what is it?" Iceburg questioned as he sat up straight in his seat.

"That is considered sexual harassment."

The room broke out into a sea of emotions after that: one portion began to argue about starting the meeting already, another began to bring up _**other**_ problems present in the group, and the rest remained awkwardly silent.

"Sexual harassment?" Doflamingo cried out with a light chuckle. "What does that even mean?"

"She's right!" Hancock agreed, hand taking Luffy's forearm tightly and in a protective manner. "I cannot just stand here and allow you to act as such around a sweet innocent as Luffy!"

Bon Clay exhaled heavily. "The bigger concern is this idiot right here taking up most of the couch! Why do I have to sit next to him?"

"The only idiot here is you," Daz countered, brow lowering as he offered Mr. Two a hard glare.

"Oh, don't touch her like that!" Miss Valentine warned, pulling in close to size up Hancock. "I can't have you hurting her, or the boss might get mad at me!"

"I got your back!" Miss Doublefinger cried out, arising quickly to offer aid to her fellow coworker. With fists forming, she added, "We can take on this old lady!"

"Everybody here is dressed poorly," Mr. Three murmured, earning a single nod from Miss Goldenweek.

"This is all pointless," Law said, prompting the smoking raven haired girl near him to strike his arm.

"Nobody asked you, Law!" she snapped, to which she earned a hard stare from the man. Shifting her body, she took to touching the blue haired man's arm gently, almost as a way of seeking safety. "So scary…"

"Doffy!" Trebol called out weakly, trying his best to earn the blonde's attention. "Perhaps we can put off all the, uh…seduction for later on and get this meeting underway…?"

"Can one even consider that seduction, though?" Violet dully questioned, clearly unimpressed with Trebol's choice of words.

"Well…" Iceburg mouthed, clicking his tongue soon after. "Yes, that is sexual harassment."

Slamming his fist to the table, Crocodile broke through all the noise. "Cut it out!" he ordered, expression hard. "We're not going to get _anywhere_ today if we bicker over nonsense."

"He's right," Iceburg added. "There are just too many people in this room…How about we have everybody except us main four wait outside, hmm? That way, we can easily discuss the final factors to the plan and then share with our own groups after such."

"They'll just all start a fight outside then," Doflamingo commented.

"Then at least we won't be in the middle of it," Crocodile countered before turning in his seat to face his group. "Go and wait outside—find something to do to occupy your time."

"The same goes to you three," Iceburg said, throwing his own group a tired look. "Try and play nice—Kalifa, keep the boys in check."

"Yes, sir," Kalifa agreed with a quick nod, arising soon after and heading for the door. Lucci and Kaku followed suit silently, with half of Crocodile's group trailing slowly behind. When Luffy arose to leave, a half whimper of a whine loudly escaped Hancock.

"Hmm," she cried out, glancing to one of her girls. "Marguerite, you stay here in my place. I'm going to go with Luffy."

Throwing the woman a hard stare, Crocodile motioned to one of the newly opened seats at the table. "You, _sit_," he ordered before nodding at Luffy. "And _you_ go wait outside with the others."

Breaking away from Hancock's weakening grip, Luffy made her leave quickly before the older woman had the chance to argue with Crocodile on the matter. Upon exiting the room, she found that those who had already made their leave scattered about—two groups trying to distance themselves as much as possible.

Lingering around the main entrance to the establishment stood Iceburg's group. Kalifa and Kaku were talking about something, a sour look on the secretary's face, and the back of Lucci's head could be seen through one of the window's as he headed somewhere off the property.

Crocodile's party kept within. The eldest of the women sat happily chatting, a look of pure and excited interest plastered across Miss Doublefinger's face as she stared at Miss Valentine. Across a ways stood Mr. Three and Miss Goldenweek, and while not as lively as the first two, appeared rather happy to be within each other's companies. And finally, there was Daz and Bon Clay, expressions angry as they seemingly fought over one of the empty couches available among many. Luffy wondered at that moment what was so important about that particular spot, but figured it would be a waste of time to focus too much on it.

Holding her breath, Luffy slipped a hand into her coat pocket, feeling the barrel of the gun cold against her touch. Her gaze widened slightly as she felt it, heart picking up speed the moment she threw her attention towards the main entrance.

_He's outside somewhere_, she thought, pulling her hand free and making her way to said entrance. _If he's far away enough, maybe…maybe I can do it…_A frown took to her lips, prompting her to slow her pace. _I'll definitely get caught though—it might even start a bad fight with everybody else…_

Approaching Kalifa and Kaku, she offered the two a quick glance as she tried to slip by. They seemingly paid her no attention, and as she made her way through, she could hear what appeared to be them arguing.

"I can't help it if _he_ was stupid enough to let information slip," Kaku said. "If anything, you're the one to blame, since you work with him practically all day long…" His back was to Luffy and so he failed to see her eyeing him.

"_Quiet_," Kalifa ordered, gaze lifting up to meet Luffy's as she walked by.

Kaku cocked a glance back, following the woman's stare. His expression fell slightly, lips clamping shut.

Looking away, Luffy headed for the main entrance, slipping outside with ease. Glancing about for Lucci, she pondered over who exactly Kaku was referring to. _It's probably nothing,_ she figured as she headed for a path wrapping around the corner of the building.

It wasn't exactly hard to spot the ravened haired man. From her stance, she could see him easily across a field, staring out towards a plot of land under construction. His bird was perched upon his shoulder, as per usual, and his back to her.

Luffy pressed her hand into her pocket once again, feeling the weapon. _Keep your hand on the gun while you talk to him, just in case…_Swallowing, she quickened her pace, eyes hard on the back of his skull. _Should I just accuse him of being behind the attack? Or should I shoot first and ask questions later? Or…?_

A hand landed on her forearm.

Her gaze lifted quickly upwards to her right, taking in the wide-eyed look of Law. She paused her pace, lips barely falling apart. He pulled her arm some, prompting her to release the gun and turn her attention fully to him. She could feel the metal weapon tug on the bottom of her pocket from its drop.

"Luffy?" Law questioned, gaze falling.

Inhaling deeply, she studied the man before her for a long moment. Luffy wasn't ready to deal with Law, not yet—she still had Lucci on her mind.

"Can we talk?" he asked then, hand still on her forearm.

Blinking, Luffy threw a quick gaze back Lucci's way, finding him to be gone. Returning her stare back to Law, she gave a stiff nod.

Law led the both of them off the property, allowing the most privacy they could get from the current situation. When his hand released her, Luffy instantly brought it up to cross her arms—not necessarily in an unwelcoming manner, but more so in one that offered her comfort.

"It's been a long time," Law started, breaking the awkward silence. A smirk seemingly tried to form on his lips, but only faded as quickly as it came. "I tried to visit you a few months ago, but there were more guards than usual—I figured I would end up just risking your safety by trying to sneak in…"

"Crocodile had more of his gang moved into the mansion for protective reasons," Luffy commented quietly, observing the occasional look Law would give towards her abdominal area.

"I even came up with a plan to get you out of the mansion," Law added then, prompting Luffy to cock a brow. "Corazon and I…we went to the mansion late at night about a month ago, to sneak you out, but…" His brows lowered, a frown coming to life on his face. "But nobody was there—it was completely deserted."

Luffy shifted her stance, offering him a curious look. It surprised her that he would risk such a plan, and part of her wasn't sure if he was lying or not. _I can't trust him enough to easily believe whatever he says now…_ "We moved to another house," Luffy explained.

He remained silent for a few seconds. "You're here now," Law finally said, determination replacing his uneasy expression. "And we're going to take you with us—Corazon, me…Doflamingo even said he'd offer support if Crocodile tries to start anything. I don't like the idea of relying on him for aid, but with the given situation…"

Luffy tilted her head to that. "You told Doflamingo about it?" she questioned, alarmed he would even _mention_ her to the blonde. "Do you tell everybody _all_ of my secrets?"

A muffled huff escaped him, jaw clenching slightly. "No," Law tried to explain, the word weakly spoken. He shook his head then, hand rising as if to stop the idea in its tracks. "No, it's not like that…and it's _our_ secret, so I should have every right to speak to it to whomever I want."

Luffy couldn't help but frown, arms tightening across her chest. "Is that so?" she questioned, tone growing hard. "Is that the same excused you used when you betrayed me and fed all the information I gave you to the government or _whoever_ you work for?"

Cutting her off, Law firmly objected, "Stop it. You keep bringing up that issue and I keep telling you that I didn't do that. Why don't you _believe _me?"

Her hands fell to her sides as her breathing picked up. "Because you're the only person who makes the most sense to do something like that!"

"How so?" Law snapped back. "How was it so easy for you to throw the blame on me?" His gaze was casted aside for a moment, brows lowered. "I thought we had something, that we could trust each other…"

"I thought so too," Luffy countered, earning his attention. "What am I to think? You told me yourself that you were leaking information about Doflamingo out to the government. It only makes sense that you're the one behind them coming after Crocodile all of a sudden!"

"No," Law objected, meeting her accusing gaze dead on. "You're wrong and you're pulling these ridiculous ideas out of your ass. _Yes_, I _**thought**_ about revealing Crocodile's whereabouts—but I didn't, because I was afraid that you would get hurt in the crossfire. I wouldn't risk your life like that, never, nor that of your family."

Luffy found herself mute, unsure of how to respond. _I can't believe him…I…I want to believe him, but…_

"You're practically suggesting that our time spent together was built on lies," Law continued on, voice growing softer as well as his expression. "I wouldn't still try to protect you if that was true…to try and claim the baby as mine. Do you realize I'm putting my education on the line for this?"

"…" Luffy parted her lips to speak, but nothing came out.

Law's apples Adam bobbed as he swallowed. "That man—Crocodile…he can provide a good life a child, but I know it isn't his. And I know we'll live poorly for some time, at least until I can land a good job after I'm finished with the university—one that can support us, _all_ of us."

"Law," Luffy finally said, causing him to fall silent. Her voice was soft—weak and unsure. "I don't think that can happen for us."

"_Why?_" he questioned, eyes searching hers. "Are you that stubborn that you won't even give it a chance?" His expression soon darkened, stare hard. "Or has _he_ manipulated you into thinking you can't have a life besides the one he can give you?"

"No," she countered, hand lifting up to touch her lower abdomen. "Something…something happened."

His stare softened, falling to catch her hand. "What do you mean…?" When she didn't answer him, he continued on, gaze lifting to search hers. "Are you sick?" he asked quickly. "You look tired…_thin_…" He shook his head, posture changing. "Are you stressed out living in that mansion? _Has __**he**__ done anything to make the pregnancy unhealthy?_"

Luffy shook her head. "No," she huffed out, throwing her gaze down to her feet. "Something happened a few months back—I was attacked."

"_**Attacked?**_"

She bit down on her lower lip, body stiffening to his alarmed tone.

"Luffy?" Law questioned, tone hard, but in a concerned way. His hand took to her shoulder, drawing her attention back up. "Is everything okay with it?"

"It died when I was attacked," she finally admitted. "Some man…he went after me as a way to hurt Crocodile."

Both hands were on her shoulders, stare dead on to hers. To say he looked alarm would be an understatement—he was shocked.

And they stood like that for what seemed to be an eternity, silent and stiff.

Law's fingers pressed into her shoulders before he pulled himself away from her. "It's his fault," he finally commented, voice quiet. "It died because of him."

"No," Luffy tried to counter when he glanced away from her. "It _isn't_ his fault."

"How can you still live with him knowing he's responsible for the baby's death?" Law questioned after taking a step back from her. "Do you realize what he's done to you…?"

Luffy quickly shook her head.

"_Luffy_," Law stressed, causing her to meet his stare once again. "You would have never been in that situation if you had left with me months ago! _**I**_ would have prevented that from happening—but him…It's because of him that the pregnancy was terminated."

"He did what he could to prevent that from happening," Luffy said, crossing her arms once again. She could understand Law's anger, but his need to blame it all on Crocodile bothered her. _It would be better if he just blamed me…_

"You're obviously too stubborn to reason with," Law concluded then, taking a few more steps away from her. "I can't win with you…You can stay by his side and defend him all you want—I don't care anymore. I'm _done_."

"Law," Luffy called out, only to be ignored. Frowning, she watched as Law made his way farther off the property, vanishing when he turned a corner.

_That couldn't have gone any worse._

* * *

Luffy had taken refuge in one of Crocodile's cars after an hour of wondering about the property. She wanted to finish her conversation with Law, upset over how he stormed off, but she also wanted to confront Lucci as well.

But neither were in sight, and so, exhausted, she took to napping in one of the cars.

She awoke hours later when somebody opened the door, allowing cold air to sweep in. Frowning, she blinked her eyes open and caught the teen girl—Miss Goldenweek—staring at her, expression blank.

"Oh," the girl had mouthed, lips forming a thin line after.

"Uh," Luffy started, huffing when Miss Goldenweek started to climb inside. Sitting up, she allowed her room beside her, surprised at how seemingly uncaring the teen was to personal space.

"Mr. Three is going to want to sit there," Goldenweek started, expression uninterested. "You can stay here if you want for the ride back—I can show you my art."

Shifting, Luffy offered the girl a weak shake of the head. "I thought this was Crocodile's car," she explained, hand reaching out for the door handle.

"Oh," Goldenweek mouthed once more with a nod. "That's right—he's looking for you. I guess you can't stay here and look at my drawings…" She shrugged then, as if it were no loss to her.

"I can draw, you know," Luffy said then, earning the girl's attention.

Cocking a thin brow, Goldenweek simply asked, "Really?" Silently, she pulled a bag she had on her over her lap, opening it swiftly to reveal rolled up papers. Pulling one out, she offered it to Luffy, as well as a dull pencil. "Draw me something—I'll show Mr. Three and he can critique it."

Smiling, Luffy greedily took the tools and began her masterpiece. It took a few moments, but once finished, she proudly presented it to the teen.

Deadpanned in the face, Goldenweek quietly asked, "This is your…art?"

"Yes," Luffy agreed with a nod. Pointing to it, she quickly explained, "See, it's a dog—but with an umbrella as a weapon."

"Oh," Goldenweek said, eyeing the sloppy doodle. "That's…interesting."

"Ah," Luffy happily said, pushing the door open. "I know! Enjoy it!" Hoping out, she headed down the row of cars until she spotted the one with Crocodile standing beside it, smoking. _I bet that Mr. Three guy is going to be blown away by my drawing,_ she thought as she approached the older male, offering him a tilt of her head when he met her stare.

"There you are," Crocodile commented dryly, gaze leaving hers. "I was getting ready to leave without you."

"I don't think you would do that," Luffy objected as she drew her fingers up to scratch the back of her head.

"I had half a mind to do so," he argued, opening the door before motioning for her to hope inside. "Get in—we're leaving."

"Is it all finished?" Luffy questioned as she got inside, throwing him a puzzled look once seated.

Slamming the door behind him, he situated himself and pulled his cigar away from his lips. "The main gest of the plan is all laid out, but I have no desire to stick around for any nonsense. I can barely stand that lot as it is." Slumping back, a heavy exhaled escaped him, eyes falling shut.

Humming quietly for a moment, Luffy arched a brow as she studied his tired expression. "When is it going to happened?" she questioned, stare falling to his cigar as he began to roll it between his finger and thumb.

"Next week, on Wednesday," he answered before returning the cigar to his mouth. Inhaling deeply, he remained mute for a long moment, chest raised high. Finally, a heavy exhale followed suit. "It's been a long time, but we're finally ready to take out Teach and claim his routes."

Pressing her hand to her chin, Luffy found herself puzzled. "So taking him out will destroy his, uh…"

"His empire, so to speak," Crocodile finished for her. "The man has nobody to take up after him, and I doubt any of his gangs will stick around after he's killed. If they do…" Creaking one eye open, he offered the maid a thin smirk. "We'll just take them out as well."

Nodding, Luffy then asked, "And what of your alliances after everything happens…?"

"What of it?" he questioned. "I plan on severing any ties to Doflamingo after everything is said and done. Hancock serves only a little bit of purpose to me. Iceburg is the only one I plan on keeping a connection with, since he offers the most use to me; however, that might not be the case if I do head out West."

"Oh," Luffy mouthed, hands falling to her lap. "Hmm…" Shrugging, she glanced to her window, watching as members of Crocodile's mob started to get into their vehicles. "Are you going to join in on the attack next week?"

"I would look like a coward if I didn't," he answered dryly. "Besides, I have a bet going on with the mayor on who'll kill Teach first—me or Doflamingo."

Throwing him a curious glance, Luffy said, "I thought he didn't like Doflamingo."

He half-shrugged in return. "He doesn't, but he thinks my age will hold me back." A frown came to life under his jagged scar. "I'll prove him wrong, like I always do."

The sound of door opening filled the car. Shortly after, Daz and Bon Clay piled into the front seats, arguing over something Luffy couldn't quite make out. When the vehicle came to life, she found herself pouting, mind caught up on the attack.

_I know Ace said he was pretty much done with Teach, but what if by some chance he's there when the attack happens…?_

"I want to visit my family," she blurted out, fingers hard on her knees as she thought over all the outcomes that could go wrong during the attack. _Maybe if I go home, I can keep him distracted long enough so he won't go anywhere near Teach or his base…_

"Again?" Crocodile asked, tone unamused.

Swallowing, she nodded twice. "On that Wednesday," she clarified, prompting him to cast her a slight gaze. Tensing up, she met his stare and offered a light smile. "At least I'm asking this time."

"_Yes_," he agreed, brows lowering, "that's true, but why on _that_ day? You should stay at the villa—it's the safest."

"I want to see my brother," she answered, softening her expression. "It'll make me feel better to be around my family while you're out risking your life." While it was a lie, Luffy could see how it could be believable.

Shifting in his seat, he turned his attention to his own window, smoke escaping his mouth. "If you're so invested in seeing him, how about you compromise with me and have him come stay at the villa for a day or two?"

Perking up, Luffy found herself startled. "You would be alright with that?"

He turned his gaze back to her. "Why wouldn't I be? Unless he's some slob, I don't see the harm on you having a guest over."

Chewing on her inner cheek, Luffy became excited at the idea. _If I can convince Ace to come to the villa, then he'll definitely be safe, but to actually get him to agree…_ "Okay," Luffy happily stated then, throwing the older male a smile. "I'll invite him!"

"You're too chipper," he observed quietly before resting his head back, eyes shutting. "I hope I don't come to regret this."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Ace comes for a visit and finally pieces together everything that has been going on between Luffy &amp; Crocodile.

* * *

***Only 5 chapters left before the end of part one! :O**

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Sellen**: Ah! Thank you! And thank you for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Hahaha, thanks! &amp; Thanks for reading!

**VongolaDecima**: Ahhh, hahaha, thanks xD I wanted to add in some last fluff/potential smut for this first part of the story. It wasn't much, but I'm glad you found it cute! Ah! I hope this chapter proved to be worthy of your excitement! Thanks for reading!

**Finnish Guest**: Ah! Thank you so much! And yes, I have every intention to finish this story :O I've invested this much time &amp; effort into it, so I gotta finish it! Thanks for reading!

**Itachisgurl**: Mmm, yeah, Dragon kind of lives up that way, but he isn't important to the story at the moment, not to say he won't be important later on. He'll make his appearance very soon. Thanks for reading!

**Starlight**: Ahhh! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know a lot of readers have been waiting for this confrontational moment, ahh, so I hope it was good enough! And thank you so much for reading trash baby! ! ;D

**RazzleDazzle**: Ahhh, hahaha, yessss! Thanks for reading! :3


	48. Brother's Disapproval

**To Serve at his Command|** Brother's Disapproval

The train roared as it came to a stop within the station, smoke and steam filling the surrounding area soon after. Luffy watched with anticipation as conductors and fellow employees moved about, working the exits open and allowing all inside an opportunity to get off.

Ace was on that train.

She had written him almost a week prior, urging him to come visit the villa the following Tuesday. In her letter, she had made mention she would pick him up at that particular train station, failing to write the exact location of the new house. _I can't bother with all the details in a letter,_ Luffy had convinced herself. _If I had, he would have just come earlier and caused some unexpected trouble…_

Licking her lower lip, she turned her attention away from the train and towards Bon Clay sitting beside her. He looked bored almost, nose wincing from the smell of engine smoke. "Is that the train?" he asked after catching her stare.

Luffy offered him a light nod. "I think so," she answered before glancing back. "The man I asked earlier said it should arrive at just about this time."

Smiling, Bon Clay shifted in his seat before rubbing his stomach. "Good—I'm hungry and it's already well past lunch time." With a quick laugh, he added, "I'm surprised you're not complaining about food!"

Luffy matched his grin with a quick shrug of the shoulders. While she was always one to verbalize her hunger, the upcoming arrival of her brother left her quiet and patient. _Food can come later,_ the maid told herself, gaze widening slightly when the first batch of travelers began to pour out.

"Oooh, what's he look like?" Bon Clay cheerfully asked as he clasped his hands together. "I'll try to spot him out!"

"He has dark hair," she began, voice quiet as she shifted her gaze throughout the travelers, "and freckles…tall…" Her words trailed off when she caught him exiting the train, eyes squinting as he glanced up to the skies. "There!"

Arising, she horridly made her way across the platform, weaving through the crowd with ease. "Ace!" she called out, quietly at first, and then once again louder when he glanced about, failing to spot her out. "Over here!"

Blinking, he met her stare and soon a small smile played with his lips. Pulling away from the train, he began her way. They met amidst the crowd, a quick embrace shared.

"Luffy!" Ace happily exclaimed as he released her from the hug. "I got your letter!" Shifting, he continued on before she had a chance to respond. "To be honest, I was a little nervous when you told me to come down here as suddenly as you did—I thought something was wrong." Pausing, he arched a brow as a frown began to form. "_Is_ there anything wrong…?"

Shaking her head, she motioned for him to follow her out of the sea of travelers. "No, there's nothing wrong," she vocalized, throwing him a quick glance. "I just wanted to see you."

Moving his suitcase from one hand to the other, Ace tilted his head slightly before glancing over to Bon Clay once they approached him. "You could have just come home then…"

Ignoring his comment, Luffy lifted her hand briefly towards the guard. "This is Bon Clay," she informed her brother. "He's going to drive us back to the villa."

"Ah," Ace mouthed, offering the man a slight nod.

Humming impatiently, Mr. Two shot his leg up in the air before performing a rather dramatic pose, leaving Ace to stare wide-eyed at the spectacle. "_Un deux trois!_" the guard sang with a trace of frustration in his voice. "It is considered rude not to greet people verbally!" Twirling around, he headed off to where the car was park, with the siblings following slowly after.

Tensing up, Ace spat out a weak apology before breaking out into a wide smile. "You interact with the most interesting types of people, Luffy," he said as he glanced over to her. "I also didn't realize you could afford your own driver, let alone a car…?"

"You know I can't afford any of this," Luffy objected softly, curious to see how he would react to learning who actually paid for all of this. "Crocodile allowed me to borrow the car."

With a frown, Ace said, "That was…_nice_ of him, I suppose." His Adam's apple bobbed then and after a long moment, he added, "Does he typically act so generous?"

"Mmm…" Nearing the car, Luffy pushed past Ace to quickly open the door for him. "He was generous enough to allow this," she answered, avoiding his gaze when he got in.

"That isn't really an answer," Ace objected before laying his suitcase between him and the other car door. When Luffy climbed inside beside him, he offered her a coy look.

Crossing her feet, she made sure not to look his way, keeping her stare hard on the back of the thin walling that separated the passenger section of the car from the driver's. "What?" she asked softly when he failed to ease his gaze on her.

"This is strange," Ace finally said, tone suspicious. "Why did you all relocate to this beach villa…?" When Bon Clay took to the driver's seat and proceeded to the turn the car on, Ace lowered his voice. "What was wrong with staying at the mansion?"

Weaving her fingers together over her lap, Luffy shrugged briefly. "He wanted a change in scenery…"

"Luffy," Ace huffed lightly, prompting her to look his way. "You're lying."

Pouting, the maid did a quick roll of her eyes and finally spat out, "It was felt that it would be safer to stay at the beach villa rather than the mansion." When Ace's gaze widened, she quickly added in a quiet voice, "Because of Teach and the plan to attack him all. Not many should know about the location of the villa…"

Her brother's expression eased. "I…" Huffing, he nodded. "That makes sense, and if it means you're out of harm's way, then I'm glad—although, you know I'd much rather you stay at Gramp's house."

Exhaling, she turned her attention to her window, taking in the scenery that seemed the blur. "I know," she dully added. If she had had it her way, she _would_ have gone to their grandfather's house, but instead she had to compromise with Crocodile and take what she could get. _As long as I can make sure Ace stays out of trouble, then I'm happy…_ "At least I was able to have this arranged."

Nodding, Ace agreed and said, "That's something." Resting his head back, a yawn escaped him and soon he had his eyes closed. "Is he going to be there?"

"Hmm?" Luffy questioned as she glanced over to study his expression.

"Crocodile," Ace clarified. "I know the…" Peeking an eye open, he whispered, "The _attack_ is supposed to happen sometime tomorrow, yeah?"

Mouthing an _oh_, Luffy nodded firmly. "He's out on making preparations for the majority of today, but I think he'll be back for a little bit tonight."

Frowning slightly, Ace closed his eye again and sighed. "This will be the first time I actually see this man…From what I've been told from, uh, _others_, he isn't the easiest to be around, or look at for that matter."

Lowering her brows, Luffy matched his frown. "He has scars," she informed him, voice softening, "but I don't find him hard to look at…"

Perking up, Ace threw his gaze directly at her. "What is that supposed to mean?" he questioned, half-amused, half-puzzled.

"Err," Luffy responded as she realized her mistake. Shaking her head, she offered up a weak smile. "I just find it mean to poke fun at people's scars, that's all."

Humming curiously, he pressed himself back down against the seat. "I wasn't making fun of him—how can I? I haven't even seen the man yet…" Huffing, he smirked then. "I guess you've learn to be a bit nicer then I take it?"

"I've always been nice," she objected before hitting his arm.

Flinching, he laughed and quickly corrected her with, "You mean you've always been a _brat_! What sort of nice person hits their loving brother like that, hmm?"

"More like _annoying _brother," Luffy shot back before striking him again. This time, however, he didn't hold back, making sure to land a hit on her arm. "Ow," she mouthed, face growing red as she became annoyed. "I'll beat you up if you don't stop it," she threatened firmly.

"Ah, as if," Ace objected with a snort.

They fought—in a playful manner, like they did when they were younger—all the way to the villa.

* * *

They sat at the dining table, empty and dirty plates scattered about and glasses half-empty. The night was upon them, making the villa cold, and the waves rolling in outside were easy to hear.

Falling back in her seat, Luffy watched as her brother picked at his dessert with his fork. While he was as big as a fan of food as she was, he could never eat as fast as she did—a talent Luffy took pride in. "Do you like it?" she questioned.

"It's lemony," Ace answered with a small smile. "But I like it…Do you always get to eat like this?"

"Like how?" she questioned, arching a brow curiously.

He motioned at the plates covering the table, smirking all the while. "This is how the rich eats," he told her. "I didn't realize servants got it this good…maybe I should take a job up here as a butler, hmm?"

"Ah, no," Luffy quickly objected, prompting Ace to laugh. "I…" Clearing her throat, she sat up in her seat. "I work really hard, so I'm allowed to, uh, eat nice."

"No need to get jumpy," Ace retorted playfully before taking a bite of his cake. "Did I strike a nerve at the thought of me working alongside you, hmm?"

Exhaling, Luffy tried to give him a smile, failing to do so. "No," she answered, tongue clicking. "I don't think you would like working as a butler, that's all."

He offered her a dismissing wave of his hand. "I was pretty much one when I was still indebted to Teach, or at least it _felt_ like I was one." Pausing, he took a sip of his drink before continuing on. "Maybe you're right…" Shaking his head, he met her stare. "Besides, I work for Edward now."

She hummed quietly in disapproval, still not entirely convinced about the idea of Ace working for such a man. _But I have no room to talk what with me still __**working**__ for Crocodile…_

The sound of a car door closing prompted the two to glance towards the window. Blinking, Luffy sat up straight, heart pounding hard all of a sudden. _He's here…_

"Who is that?" Ace questioned as he glanced back at Luffy.

Swallowing, Luffy got up to take to the window, studying the dark figures in the night. "It's him," she answered softly. "I…" Turning around, she smiled weakly and said, "I'm going to go let him in—stay here, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Ace agreed, falling back in his seat all the while sending her a puzzled gaze.

Making her leave, Luffy went for the main hallway in order to get to the front entrance. Holding in her breath, she mentally commanded herself to calm herself down. _This is it…_ Opening the front door, she awaited their arrival, biting down on her lower lip as she thought of everything that could go wrong that evening. _Just keep calm and nothing bad will happen…Crocodile promised he wouldn't act suspiciously._

Breathing out, she held the door open as they—Crocodile and Daz—approached the entrance. The driver made his way in, offering her a quick passing glance before heading down the main hallway, most likely to go to sleep from the long day. Widening her stare, she met Crocodile's, taking in his thin lips, tired expression, and the smell of cigar that seemed to cling to him.

"I presume he's here?" he asked when she made no attempts to speak. When she answered with a single nod, he arched a brow before shrugging his coat off and throwing it over the hook of the coat rack. "Then let's meet this brother of yours."

Closing the door behind her, Luffy quickly followed after Crocodile, whom seemingly knew exactly where to find her brother. "Remember not to say anything suspicious," she whispered, earning an amused stare from the man.

"Perhaps that is advice you should be giving yourself," he countered with a thin smirk. "Don't worry—tonight I will treat you as if you are just a _normal_ maid."

_I hope so,_ Luffy thought with a weak exhale as she took to pushing past him towards the dining room. Entering it, she caught Ace's stare, him perking up when Crocodile soon entered after her. She could see his eyes move as he took in the man, studying his features and obviously already forming judgements.

Ace's stare seemed to grow hard.

"Ace," Luffy quickly began, voice cracking at first. "This is…uh…" His expression left her at a loss of words, fear of whatever he was thinking leaving her in a panicked state. "Crocodile—_Sir_ Crocodile," she finally said.

"Hello," Ace said, tone blank of any emotion. "You're her employer, yes?"

"Yes," Crocodile answered, gaze hard and just as observing as her brother's. A moment passed and he took to the front of the table, sitting down and eyeing the plates about. "Why don't you fetch us a bottle of wine, hmm?" he questioned, earning Luffy's gaze.

Blinking, the maid nodded weakly before half-turning and stopping when Crocodile cleared his throat.

"And these dishes?" he questioned, tone firm but not alarming. "Are you going to leave them lying about?"

"Oh," she mouthed, quickly nodding in agreement as she began to collect the dirty plates.

"I can help," Ace offered quietly when she went for his own dishes.

"No," Crocodile objected. "You're a guest and it would be considered rude to have you do the cleaning. Besides, this is what I pay her for."

Relaxing slightly, Ace met Luffy's stare for a quick moment.

"It's okay," she whispered to him as she took his plate. In silence, she left the room and headed for the kitchen, dumping the dishes into the sink before turning to head for the cupboards. While it was lavish in its own right, the villa didn't have its own wine cellar like the mansion did, and so all the fine wines were kept in the kitchen.

Luffy pulled out the brand that Crocodile seemed the favor the most, gaze falling upon the label. _I hope this gets him in a good mood…_ Grabbing two glasses, she made her way back to the dining hall.

"I do whatever work I can get," Ace was saying. "Some jobs last longer than others, however…"

Crocodile nodded slightly at that. "You seem the type to take to business work rather than hard labor, for example. Would I be correct or…?"

Ace shook his head. "Business…? As in lawyers or…?"

Glancing to Luffy, Crocodile fell back in his seat when she approached him with the wine. His gaze fell to the bottle and after studying it for a second, he gave her an approving nod. Pulling out a cigar, he looked to Ace. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," Ace answered.

As Luffy poured him a drink, he brought the cigar to his lips and set it to life with a quick flick of a match. "When I say _business_," he began, "I mean more along the lines of market, such as the exchange of goods or stocks, but I suppose lawyers would fall under that category as well."

Nodded slightly, Ace glanced to Luffy when she offered him a glass. "No," he said quietly.

"You don't drink?" Crocodile questioned, clearly interested in Ace's rejection of the offer. "This _is_ a good year, and rather expensive. It would be a shame to waste the opportunity."

"No, I'm fine," Ace reaffirmed. "I'm don't care much about wine or its age and price—I'll leave such frivolous things to the rich."

Crocodile hummed briefly to himself before nodding. "So be it," he retorted, resting his cigar in an ashtray before taking a sip of his drink. "Luffy," he said then, earning her attention fully. "You can have his glass if you wish." Turning his stare to Ace, he softly added, "She isn't one to shy away from a good offer, I've found."

Ace's gaze widened slightly as he looked to Luffy. His lips parted barely, but nothing came out.

Sniffing, Luffy offered him a timid smile, as if that would brush over the strained tension building up. "I, uh," she began, words fumbling around in her throat.

"You can sit if you want," Crocodile said then. "This is your guest and I'm sure standing like that makes you feel awkward."

Blinking, she did as he suggested, returning to her original seat across the table from Ace. She poured herself a small drink before placing the bottle center of the table. From the corner of her eye, she could see a smile forming upon Crocodile's face.

"You didn't mention what you do?" Ace asked then, earning the man's attention. "I'm sure it must be something…_interesting_, since you're able to afford this villa."

"Business," Crocodile answered with a thin smirk. "Nothing that will interest you, I'm afraid, but I will say that my wealth comes from decades of hard work."

"I'm sure," Ace commented, tone unimpressed. Shifting in his seat, he flicked a gaze over to Luffy, studying her expression for a moment. "I'm curious, is Luffy any good at being a maid?"

"She's _helpful_," Crocodile answered, the word rolling off his tongue. "I appreciate the work she puts into her job and I find her rather _dedicated_ to appeasing me."

Lowering his brows, Ace exhaled lightly. "That's interesting to hear," he commented. "She's very lazy back home, so I must admit I'm surprised to hear such, uh…praise." Turning his attention to Luffy, he half-laughed and said, "Maybe you can put all you've learned here to good use you move back home, hmm? It'll be nice to have free maid service."

"Move back home?" Crocodile questioned curiously after taking another sip of his drink. "I didn't realize she would be quitting."

Blinking, Ace looked to the man as if it were obvious. "Well, she can't be a maid _forever_," he said with a smile following suit. "Besides, we—my family—need her back home…I'm sure you know how it is with family, and keeping by each other. You'll surely find somebody to replace Luffy when the time comes."

Inhaling deeply, Luffy silently watched as Crocodile clenched his jaw, body tensing briefly. "Ah," she cut in sweetly, trying to ease over the unwelcoming mood, "that's something to discuss at another time—_much later_ down the line no less…"

"Actually," Ace countered swiftly, "I was hoping to discuss that tonight with your employer." Turning his gaze to Crocodile, he firmly said, "I believe Luffy has grown used to having a rather nice lifestyle and is stubborn when it comes to her coming back home. I was hoping you could push her in the right direction and relieve her of her services here—and again, I'm sure you can find another maid."

Shifting in his seat, Crocodile offered Ace a dry look. "I believe the choice is up to her if she wishes to remain in my employment or not."

"Yes, of course," Ace weakly agreed, expression falling. "But…"

"She's _staying_," Crocodile cut in sternly, prompting the maid's brother tense up. Forcing a warm but thin smile, he added, "If she wishes to stay, of course."

Licking his dry lower lip, Ace offered the man a hard stare. "Excuse me if this is out of line, but as her brother, I think I know what's best for her, and working so far away from home isn't good for Luffy."

"Ace," Luffy mouthed, only to be talked over by Crocodile.

"She's been away for about a year now—how do you know if she doesn't consider this, or the mansion back in the city, home?" Crocodile questioned, clearly agitated. Reaching for his cigar, he brought it to his mouth for a deep inhale. As the smoke escaped past his lips, he quickly added, "You may be surprised to find that a lot of things have changed for her since coming to work for me."

"_Crocodile_, stop," Luffy said then, stare widening in fear when she caught a look of anger cross her brother's eyes.

Leaning forward, Ace brought his hand to the table and formed a fist. "What does _that_ mean?"

"It means nothing," Luffy answered for Crocodile, earning her brother's attention briefly. "I…I think it's time that we go to bed, huh? It's late and…"

Ace shook his head, frustrated stare and tone directed at her now. "Is something going on?" he finally asked. "I don't like how he speaks in regard to you…"

"You're being rather rude," Crocodile cut in dryly. "You come onto my property and start throwing around these ridiculous ideas."

Arising, Ace returned his glare to the older male. "It isn't _ridiculous_ for me to be worried about Luffy—I have every right to say what I have to say, I'm her brother."

Leaning forward, Crocodile removed his cigar and pressed it to the ashtray before arising to meet Ace's stance. "And _I'm_ her…"

"Calm down!" Luffy yelled out, loud enough to stop Crocodile from finishing his sentence.

"_**What?**_" Ace snapped out. "What the hell were you going to say? What are you to Luffy exactly, hmm? And I _swear_ if it's anything other than employer…"

Half laughing, Crocodile said, "Do you think you frighten me, _boy_?"

Ace's chest arose and for a moment, he remained completely mute. "Luffy," he finally said, "we're leaving. I don't approve of you working for this man anymore—he's clearly messed up in the head if he thinks he can override any of my decisions for you."

"She isn't leaving with you," Crocodile coolly stated before glancing down at her. "She's staying right there where she belongs, but you…You can certainly leave, right now in fact."

"Not without Luffy," Ace spat back.

Sighing, Crocodile motioned to Luffy, annoyed. "She's an adult and is fully capable to make her own decisions. Being a protecting brother is one thing, but _this_? This is just embarrassing."

Ace took a step away from the chair, prompting Crocodile to turn his hand to his direction. "Be smart, boy. You're currently on my _heavily guarded_ property. Leave now without making a scene and be rest assured that she'll have a good life under here."

"Luffy," Ace called out, earning her attention. "He said you have a choice, let's go."

"…" Inhaling, Luffy found herself glancing to her lap, too stunned to say anything. _How did things get this bad?_

"Luffy!" Ace yelled, causing her to flick her stare up. "Let's **go**."

"You…" Licking her bottom lip, she offered him a small frown. "You don't have to worry about me, Ace. I can take care of myself."

His gaze widened, stare frantic. "What are you saying…?"

"Obviously she wants to stay here," Crocodile said with a heavy exhale.

Shaking her head, she quickly glanced up to the older male, brows lowering. "But I want Ace in my life," she corrected. "I can't just abandon my family."

"_Obviously_ she wants to go with me then," Ace angrily said. "You're putting thoughts in her head."

"You need to make a choice, now," Crocodile said as he approached her, his expression intense for a moment. Softening his stare, his hand took to her shoulder. "We've been through too much for you to just leave, not now, not after everything."

"_Stop_ talking like that," Ace shouted as he neared the front of the table. "You act as if…as if…" He slowed down to a halt, eyes falling to Luffy's shoulder. His breathing grew quicker, eyes narrowing.

"Just tell him," Crocodile urged then, drawing her attention back to him. "He's going to find out eventually, and if he knows the truth, then you can live easier without the constant pressure of living a lie."

"_Fuck_," Ace mouthed, only to repeat himself louder. His hands reached up to grip his hair and for a moment, he appeared as if his whole life was turned upside down. "_Get away from her_," he ordered sharply as he took to them, pulling Luffy up by her forearm.

"Let go of her," Crocodile objected as he reached out for her other arm, only to grasp air when Ace pulled Luffy behind him.

"Don't you touch Luffy, you bastard," Ace said. "You've been…with Luffy…" His grip on her tightened. "_**Fuck**_." His hand left Luffy and connected with the side of Crocodile's face, knocking the older man back up against the wall. As Ace went in for the next strike, Luffy desperately tried to hold him back, failing miserably. "_Did you force yourself on her?_" Ace practically screamed, throwing in another hit as Crocodile lifted his arm to block the oncoming attack. "You manipulative _sonofabitch_!"

"Ace, stop!" Luffy yelled, hooking both hands around his arm to stop him. Doing as such, unfortunately, allowed Crocodile to retaliate, meeting her brother's nose and knocking both her and him back on the table.

Shaking his hand, Crocodile threw Ace a wild glare. "You should have left when you had the chance!"

Ignoring the implied threat, Ace barreled forward, shoulder meeting Crocodile's gut as he forced him back against the wall. Pulling back, he flexed his hand and lifted it back to for more force. As he went in for another hit, Luffy shoved him aside to get in between, throwing her brother a determined glare.

"Stop it!" she ordered firmly.

"Move," Ace snapped back. "Luffy, _move_!"

Luffy shook her head. "You need to calm down, Ace," she objected. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything."

"It will for me," Ace countered, eyes wide as he threw a glance over her shoulder. "You need to step aside and let me finish this."

"You need to go outside and cool off," Luffy shot back, slapping his fist when he raised it. "I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore."

Tensing up, he threw her a puzzled look, face contorting into an odd expression, as if he had seen something truly disgusting. Taking a step back, his hand fell to his side, lips parted as hot air escaped his mouth. "Luffy," he mouthed weakly. "You're _protecting_ him?"

"If it were reversed and it was him attacking you, then I would say and do the same exact thing," she countered.

Swallowing, Ace quickly shook his head and turned. "I can't believe this," he half groaned as he headed for the hallway. When he disappeared, Luffy offered Crocodile one quick glance before heading after her brother, pausing when she felt a hand around her wrist.

"Stay," Crocodile ordered, tired.

She pulled her hand free and ignored his request, jogging after Ace as quickly as she could. The front entrance was wide open, the world dark outside. Luffy ran outside, cold air kissing his skin and prompting her to stiffen up.

"Ace," she cried out, desperately glancing about as she searched for his figure. When she spotted his frame down the street some, she went after it, breathing heavy and sides sore. "Wait!" she gasped when she neared him.

"I can't talk to you right now," Ace snapped back, ignoring her pained expression when she caught up to his side.

"Please, Ace," Luffy pleaded, hands grabbing onto his arm to earn his attention. "Let me explain!"

"Explain what, Luffy?" he questioned, tone hard as he pulled his arm away from her. Pausing, he stopped in his place and turned to face her. "How can you reasonably explain you and…and that _man_?"

"I did everything willingly," Luffy informed him which only caused him to grow even more angered. "Things like this happen," she tried to explain.

"No," he objected. "No, things like that don't happen. He…It's not right."

"_**Why?**_"

Widening his stare, Ace pointed back to the villa. "He's…you know what he is, and you know what he's capable of! He's a monster and…it's wrong and sickening to even think that you two are…" He shook his head, hand lifting up to rub his nose, wincing after. "You were supposed to spy on him, not sleep with him."

"It happened," Luffy retorted weakly, frowning when Ace's expression grew disheartening.

"This is my fault," he said, pulling away and continuing down his path, but at a slower pace. "I failed you and allowed you to stay at that mansion. I should have protected you…and…"

"What happened doesn't involve you," Luffy protested. "This isn't your fault, not in the slightest."

"Then you're the biggest idiot on this planet," Ace shot back.

"Ace!" Luffy practically whined when his pace quickened. They were far away from the villa, it growing smaller and smaller in the distance. "Don't leave."

"I'm not going back _there_," he said with a forced laugh. "And you shouldn't either."

Amidst the arguing, Luffy failed to realize that they were being watch, a large dark figure lurking near them. "Everything alright?" it asked, prompting her to cast her gaze aside and take in the stranger.

Turning his attention, Ace grew quiet.

"You two are really going at it," the man continued as he took a few steps forward, more and more of his features becoming clear. He was tall and round—more so muscular than fat. His waved hair hung down just below his shoulders and there was an intense look to his eyes. "Ain't safe to be alone out here so late," he continued.

"What are you doing here?" Ace asked, tone completely different—surprised. "How…?"

"We followed you, Ace," the man said with a smile.

"Do you know this man?" Luffy questioned, eyeing him curiously. He certainly wasn't anybody she recognized.

"Luffy, stay near me," Ace said, voice low. "Burgess, what do you want?"

Laughing loudly, Burgess offered the two of them a light shrug. "We got to talk—err, well, not me, per say…more so Teach."

"I've repaid my debt," Ace countered firmly. "What in the world could he possibly…" A sharp cry escaped him as he fell face forward, another stranger standing tall behind them all.

"Ace!" Luffy gasped, eyes widening as she took in the new figure.

Laughing again, Burgess went in and kicked Ace in the gut. "Eat shit," he practically sang between chuckles.

"Stop!" she ordered, moving forward to attack the large man; however, a pair of hands held her back, twisting her own behind her back. "Let go!"

"I'd be quiet little lady or else we won't go easy on you," Burgess suggested as he knelt down to tie Ace's hands behind his back.

"Hold still," the other man gently ordered as he bound Luffy's wrists together. "Boss wants a word with you as well."

"What…?" Luffy questioned, words falling short when a bag was placed over her head. Her chest arose as air filled her lungs, preparing her to cry out.

"Scream and I'll cut your tongue out," Burgess firmly order as a fist met her stomach and knocked the air out of her. Her legs grew weak then and she went to fall down, but the other stranger kept her standing up.

"Let's go," Burgess ordered, dragging the two of them into the unseen night. "We have a lot to do before tomorrow night!"

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **Teach has a few choice words to share with both Luffy and Ace. The attack is started and new truths are revealed. Both Luffy and Ace's lives are on the line.

* * *

*****A/N:** I'll try to update on time again, and I apologize for taking a few weeks to get to this update. I started a new semester and it takes up 90 percent of my time x_x But I'm going to try my best to really work on this story since we're so close to closing up this first half!

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Itachisgurl**: Hahaha, yeah, finally! And this ball will keep on rolling! Thanks for reading!

**Sellen**: Law needs all the hugs, really. He's getting the short end of the stick in this story. And ahhh! That's so flattering of you to say, thank you! And thank you for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Law is…well, Law is going to get his fair share of spot light in the next few chapters. Everything is going to blow up for everybody. Thank you for reading!

**RazzleDazzle**: Hahahaha omg xD I'm glad you like my little Doffy dialogue there. And of course there is going to be drama xD Omg you know me by now hahahah Thanks for reading! :D

**Finnish Guest**: Yeah! You're pretty spot on with the saying. I think there are different phrases, like "…fix everything up" or "solve everything" but again, you got it right :D Hmm, that's a hard questions to answer! Sometimes, I do envision them as real people, but more so for their body postures and where they're sitting or what body movements they're making, but when I think of facial expressions, I can't help but envision them as their anime/manga form. I suppose it's a mixture of both, really! Thank you for reading! :D

**VongolaDecima**: Hahaha, I'm glad that chapter stirred up all these emotions and questions! It means I'm doing my job correctly! Ah, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for reading!

**Guest**: Ahhh, don't worry! Law will get his time to shine and have happier moments eventually! I hope this story has a happy ending as well hahaha xD Thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight**: You're in luck! I'm CPR certified, so I can revive you after these terrible chapters, hahaha. Ahh! I hope you liked this update &amp; thank you for reading my dead trashy baby!

**Pineapplehop**: Ohhh! I hope you're enjoyed the story so far and I want to thank you for giving it a chance and reading it! I hope this chapter held up to any expectations you had! And again, thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocoalate**: Hahaha, it's okay! I don't mind being too lazy too login—I'm a very lazy creature myself, haha. Ahhhh I really hope this chapter lived up to your excitement! And thank you so much!


	49. War Pt 1

*****A/N:** I'm so sorry for the hiatus! My life revolves around my classes pretty much right now and I've hardly had any time to write. I'm on my spring break, so I managed to squeeze in some time to write this chapter between studying. Again, I apologize for the long wait!

***It has also been one year since I first started posting chapters for this story. I want to thank everybody who gave this story a chance, read it, favorited/followed it, and to those who were kind enough to leave a review. I never imagined I would get as far as I did—this is more than likely going to be the first fic I ever finish. : ) Thank you.

* * *

**To Serve at his Command|** War – Part One

A grunt escaped her when she was forced to sit flat on the cold floor, eyes stinging from the tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. Her flesh was hot from the cloth sack over her face, making the air hard to breathe in. Her wrists throbbed from the rope binding them together behind her back and her abdomen ached from the earlier assault on the beach.

Luffy had no idea where she was.

Burgess and his comrade had taken them far away from the beach, that much she could piece together. The ride to wherever they were going was uncomfortable and long, with both her and Ace forced to lie on the flooring of the back passenger section of the car.

Ace's voice filled the room with a hard string of curses when he was forced down, the side of his arm brushing up against hers. "_What the hell is going on?_" he snarled out after a loud exhale. "Take this bag off my head!"

"Cram it," Burgess retorted, voice loud and piercing. "Keep talking like that and I'll kick you in the gut again."

"Fuck you!" Ace objected and after a moment, a sharp hiss escaped him, his body falling over to lean up against Luffy.

"Told ya I'd do it," Burgess said with a whistle.

Tensing up, Luffy turned her head in Ace's direction, a heavy breath of air escaping her. "_Ace?_" she questioned after a quiet whine. "What's going on?" Footsteps grew loud and Luffy soon felt a new warmth beside her.

"Don't think I won't strike you again," Burgess threatened. "Keep quiet."

Shifting, Ace pushed himself up and off of Luffy's side. "Do what he says," he suggested, voice weak and tired. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

Biting her lower lip, Luffy offered a weak nod and soon grew tense when she realized doing as such was useless. Shifting slighting, she lifted her fingers to touch the rope binding her wrists, frowning from how tightly it was tied. _These men are dangerous_, she thought as she gave up trying to work her hands free. _Ace seems to know them...and he mentioned Teach back on the beach…_Swallowing, Luffy quickly turned her head when she heard a creak in the room. _This isn't good_, she finally concluded, arm twitching when a door opened suddenly.

A hard laugh filled the room followed by heavy footsteps. "You found them quick enough, Burgess," a new voice said.

"He lead us straight to her, boss," Burgess replied, the warmth of his body moving behind her and towards Ace. Soon enough, a grunt escaped her brother, his arm brushing against hers as if somebody were interacting with him.

"You look terrible Ace," the new person mocked, clearly amused. "That bruise is reckoned to stay at least a week or so."

A hiss could be heard escaping between clenched teeth. "_Teach_," Ace responded, tone unwelcoming.

"What?" Teach asked before laughing. "No _hellos_? No_ how are you_?"

"Why are you doing this?" her brother questioned then, his body shifting besides her. "What the hell is your game here…?"

"Ace," Teach said sweetly, cutting him off. "You know full well the type of man I am—I don't like to leave any stone unturned." There was a long pause before he continued. "I didn't arrange this meeting just for you, you know," he revealed. "I wanted to speak to that one right there."

Luffy could feel Ace turn his body her direction. "What?" he spoke softly at first before quickly adding, "You mean _Luffy_? Leave her out of this, bastard!"

"Keep talking like that to the boss and I'll cut your tongue out," Burgess threatened as he hooked his arm under one of Luffy's. Gasping out, Luffy was forced away from her brother, towards the opposite side of the room.

"Don't touch her," Ace yelled then when Luffy fell to her side after being released by Burgess.

"I said _shut it_," Burgess snapped back before tugging the cloth sack away from Luffy's face. "Don't test me."

Blinking, Luffy inhaled weakly as she glanced around, taking in the rather ugly dark room. The smell of iron and rust kissed her nostrils and moonlight streamed in across the floor from a closed window.

A chair scraped across the wood paneling as Teach dragged it towards her. After a long moment, he took to sitting in front of her, offering her a gapped-tooth smile. "You must be the little informant, eh?"

Awkwardly, Luffy forced herself up, huffing quietly as she glared up at the man.

"Shy, are we?" he questioned with a soft smirk. "Do you like my warehouse? I know it isn't homey or anything, but I rather enjoy it."

Once more, Luffy remained mute, brows lowering slightly as she studied his amused expression, features hard to take in.

"Staying quiet like that ain't going to do any of us a lick of good, you know," he commented as he pressed his hands to his knees. "You _must_ be wondering why I had you dragged all the way out here, no?"

"_Fuck off_," Luffy finally said, earning a fit of laughter from Burgess.

"She," he gasped about between laughs, "…she…she sounds just like her brother, she do!" Gripping his side, he nodded over to Ace. "Acts tough like him and everything—she ain't scare of you, boss!"

Offering the grunt man a thin smile, Teach turned his attention back to Luffy, cocking a fat brow. "I'd rather you say that then beg for your life," he said, leaning back in his seat. "I'd expect no less from you. From what I've heard, you're not the typical little innocent house maid, are you?"

"_Shut up_," Ace growled from his corner of the room, only to grow silent when Burgess slapped him on the back of the head.

"You see," Teach began, "when your dear bother came to me many months ago, spinning a tale of having somebody _'on the inside'_ working for Crocodile, I found myself suspicious, and with good reason." Smirking, he offered her brother a quick glance. "Ace isn't particular trustworthy, and we'll get into that in a bit—but yes, after being informed about you, I had somebody head out to Crocodile's mansion and soon enough we pieced together that this informant was you, the new maid."

"She wasn't only _just_ a maid," Burgess commented slyly, a whistle following suit.

Sharing an amused laugh, Teach nodded. "No, it seemed you weren't. We won't go into any details to spare Ace's _delicate_ ears, but it was easy to piece together that you were just Crocodile's plaything. Have anything to say about that, hmm?"

Luffy remained absolutely still, uneasy by the fact that he seemed to know so much.

"Silent again, are we?" Teach commented with a click of his tongue. "Heh, tell me—did you just fuck him for information?" When Luffy failed to answer, he continued on. "I would hope so—it wouldn't be the first time that's happen…I would like to see the look on his face when he learns that you've been feeding us information this entire time."

"No," Luffy found herself spitting out, eyes widening.

"_Please_," Teach lazily retorted, "there would be no fun if I didn't…_anyway_, I must thank you either way for everything you've done. Because of you, I know full well of this organized attack that they cooked up—and I have to admit I'm rather surprised he has an alliance with the mayor of all people..."

"…" Luffy cocked a brow, confused by his statement.

"They don't know, boss," Burgess called out with a low chuckle. "All of them have been played, and they ain't even realized it."

"That mayor," Teach explained, "he's got something going on with the government. Loose lips has been feeding a ton of information to them, all about Crocodile and Doflamingo and that brash snake woman, whatever her name is."

_Iceburg…?_

"Most likely planning some attack on you lot," Burgess added. "Arrest you all in one quick swoop—that's what 'em government dogs like to do and all."

_Iceburg has been feeding information to the government…?_ Swallowing, Luffy's gazed widened as she remembered the man trying to get a meeting with the mayor. _Kalifa said he was a detective…_

Smirking, Teach met Luffy's wild stare. "You look shocked…I can only imagine how Crocodile will take to it, if he lives long enough to realize that the mayor has been betraying him." A laugh escaped him then, loud and hard. "It's hilarious when you add up how many people are stabbing that man in the back at once."

Clearing his throat, Teach arose from his seat, kicking the chair aside. "Well, I don't have that much time to sit and chat," he started. "I just wanted to let you in on the plan."

"You didn't tell her yet," Burgess informed him as he too arose. He gave Ace's leg a sharp kick when he began to stir.

"Oh, I haven't?" Teach questioned, smirking afterwards. "Ah, I suppose I should then…" Tilting his head, he sent her a warm smile. "We're using you as bait, you know, since you've been all _friendly _with Crocodile—I'm hoping he'll come rushing over here to get you back…Left a rather crude letter at that villa of his, hopefully it'll inspire him to come."

Burgess snorted. "It would be a pity if he didn't show."

"Told him not to bring Doflamingo or any other person from that so-called alliance, but I doubt he'd listen." Shrugging, he glanced towards the window, chest rising. "When he arrives, I'll drag you out there to meet him, have him surrender or beg or something humiliating, and then at the very last second, I'll kill you in front of him." His stare met hers. "It'll be beautiful, the look of pain and defeat…"

"_Bastard_, don't you dare," Ace began harshly, eyes narrowed and teeth bared.

"And then we'll off Crocodile next," Burgess cheerfully added as he smacked one of Ace's cheeks to silence him. "And his men…and Doflamingo's if he shows…and well, _everybody_."

"Unfortunately, we're saving your brother for somebody _else_, so you won't be able to die with him." Turning his gaze to Ace, he frowned. "I had high hopes for you, Ace, but you had to go and betray me, and for what? Edward and whatever pathetic promises he offered, hmm?" Shaking his head, he turned towards the door. "Burgess, stay in here and watch them—I'll call for you if anybody shows up."

"Better," Burgess retorted. "I don't want to miss out on the fun."

* * *

It had been almost an hour since Teach left, leaving Luffy and Ace under the watchful and harsh eye of Burgess. The man would occasionally offer her older brother a slap here and a kick there, going as far as to threaten them with a knife.

It wasn't until Burgess began cursing loudly that Ace made a sound.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he questioned, throwing the guard a hard glare up.

"Shut the fuck up!" Burgess hissed before taking to the window, hand rising up and slamming on the wall. "Fuckers came in getting chased by the police!" he revealed before heading for the door. "Damn, fuck, shit," he continued on, his voice growing weaker the farther he went.

With eyes widening, Ace met Luffy's stare. "He left the knife," he muttered, working his bonded hands under his bottom. Wincing, he forced them past his thighs before bending his legs in to work his hands over them. Exhaling, he jumped up, wobbling for a mere second before taking to the table.

"I need you to hold this," he explained, pressing the knife to Luffy's hands. When she took it, he brought the rope around his to the knife and began to cut at it. "Keep a tight hold on it now…"

"Okay," Luffy agreed, trying her best to keep the weapon still. Yelling could be heard in the distance and the sound of gunfire soon followed.

"There!" Ace happily declared when his hands were set free. "Alright, now you." Once he undid the rope around her wrists, he took to the window, gaze frantically searching the field before them. "There are a lot of people out there…they're fighting…"

Getting up, Luffy took to his size, searching the faces below them. Some of them looked familiar—a mixture of people she met in the recent past. "They're from the attack group…from Crocodile's group and Doflamingo's…and even Hancock's…" But she couldn't spot anybody from Iceburg's group, leaving her with a heavy frown. _Is it really true then…?_

"We don't have time to just stand around," Ace quickly informed her before turning. "I'm going to go check outside…stay here."

"But Ace," Luffy objected, following after him and coming to a stop when he whipped around.

"_**Luffy**_…" His voice was strained, expression hard but full of concern. "You need to listen to me for once and _stay_ here. Promise me you will?"

Swallowing, Luffy gave a weak nod. "Alright," she agreed, brows lowering when Ace opened the door. "But be quick…"

Agreeing, he headed out, closing the door behind him.

Taking to the window once again, Luffy watched uneasily as swarms of men came pouring out of the warehouse entrance. They quickly took to fighting, spreading out and covering the field with ease. _There's too many down there to keep tract,_ she thought, desperately searching for one person in particular. When she failed to find him, a shaky exhale escaped her. "Ace," she mouthed as she glanced to the door. _Please hurry up…_

Fifteen minutes had passed since last separating from her brother. Biting her bottom lip, she approached the door, fingers hovering over the handle weakly. _I can't stay here forever…_

_But Ace told me to wait for him…_

Parting her lips barely, she found herself griping the handle. _Maybe I can make a run for it?_ Her arm twitched. _But I need to find Ace…_Holding her breath, she pushed the door open, allowing the sounds of battle to be clearly heard. Blinking, she peeked outside, looking left and the right.

An empty hallway stood before her.

From her spot, she could see a corner at the end of the hallway—her only route out of there. Walking away from the door frame, she grew stiff when the sounds of heavy footsteps came from said corner.

Two men quickly turned, meeting her with wild expressions.

Drenched in blood, Doflamingo only offered her a quick glance before heading for the room she was in. The other, however, looked relieved at the moment, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"_Crocodile_," Luffy mouthed, right hand flexing into a small fist.

When he approached her, she couldn't help but examine him, taking in his scuffed up clothing, the loose lock of hair dangling across his face, and the coat of blood upon the golden hook he sported. She reached out for his hand, eyes searching his bloodied knuckles.

"You came," she added after a soft exhale.

His hand left hers to take her chin, forcing her gaze to lift and meet his. "How could I not?" he questioned. "That bastard stole something _important_ from me."

A heavy exhaled filled the hallway followed by a hard scream. "Get the _fuck_ inside here you two!" Doflamingo ordered, slamming the door as wide as it can.

Blinking, Luffy glanced back at the doorframe, wincing when she heard the table crashing over onto its side.

"Get inside," Crocodile agreed, offering her a gentle but firm nudge forward. "It isn't safe out here."

Upon entering the room, Luffy was met with the sight of Doflamingo pacing frantically. "Fucking fuck," he whispered harshly to himself before turning around sharply and kicking a chair. "_**FUCK**_."

"What's wrong?" she questioned, turning her gaze to find Crocodile dragging the table over in front of the door. "Why is he…?"

"Ignore him," Crocodile dryly ordered, huffing after he was finished with the table. "We need to find a way for you to escape."

"The only way out is down the hall," Luffy explained, growing quiet when Doflamingo began to scream out curses again.

"That fucker betrayed me," he said, hands lifting up to grip at each side of his head. "_**Him**_, of all people."

Arching a brow, Luffy looked to Crocodile. "Does he mean Iceburg?"

Frowning slightly, Crocodile turned his attention away from the blonde and offered her a coy stare. "Iceburg…?"

"The government showing up," Luffy tried to explain. "It was because of Iceburg—that's what Teach said...that he betrayed you…"

"No, you _idiot_," Doflamingo cut in, approaching the two of them. "It was _**Corazon**_, my own brother." He turned around and paced forward a few steps. "He called in the government—betrayed _me_!"

_Corazon…?_ Widening her stare, Luffy turned towards the door, gaze falling to the floor. _Law said Corazon was working with the government…Was what Teach said about Iceburg a lie?_

Crocodile's voice filled her ears, dominating Doflamingo's with ease. "You said Iceburg betrayed us?"

She lifted her stare and searched his for a moment. "Teach said so," she answered, hands clasping together over her chest. "He said that Iceburg has been helping the authority in order to arrest you all."

Frowning, he shook his head, as if in complete disbelief. "No," he countered, voice growing quiet. "He…Iceburg wouldn't do that—he has too much at stake to risk…he…"

"Where is he?" Luffy questioned. "Or his men…did they come?"

Crocodile remained mute for a moment, casting his gaze to the side towards the ruckus Doflamingo was creating. "He couldn't make it…he wouldn't say why…" His stare narrowed then, realization dawning upon him.

Silently, he turned his body fully towards Doflamingo. His fist was tightly flexed, jaw clenched. "Can you shut up for a second?" he sharply ordered, earning the blonde's attention. "It wasn't your brother who called in the government hounds."

"Shut the fuck up," Doflamingo shot back, hand reaching into the inside of his pink coat. A gun was soon revealed, prompting Luffy to tense up. Examining it, he offered the maid a snide look. "This isn't for you," he said. "It's for Law—the fucker who helped Corazon."

"_Listen_ to me," Crocodile strained. "It was Iceburg who was behind them attacking us on the road back a ways—not your brother."

"_**No**_," Doflamingo objected loudly. "No, it was Corazon and Law—this entire time, they've been working to destroy my entire empire."

"He's in shock," Crocodile dully said as he glanced down at Luffy. "He can't think _straight…_"

Frowning, Luffy studied the blood on Doflamingo's clothing, gut twisting as she listened to the spew of words that escaped his mouth in regards to his brother. "Whose blood is that?" she asked softly.

"It had to have been him," the blonde determined, tone growing weaker as he paced the room. "It…had to have been…" He grew still. "No, it was Corazon and nobody else…I…" He lifted the gun up a ways, head tilted in its direction. "I murdered him because _he_ _**betrayed**_ _me_."

Pulling on Luffy's forearm, Crocodile drew her to the opposite side of the room. "He's lost his mind," he told her, expression unimpressed. "We might have to leave him behind."

"He murdered that man?" Luffy found herself asking, oblivious to Crocodile's disinterest of the subject. "And Law…?"

"They're not of our concern," he stressed. "This whole attack was a complete failure. With those damned police dogs getting involved, we've lost any chance of taking Teach out tonight." Pausing, he motioned to the door. "I'm going to move the table for us to leave, but I'm going to need you to stay close by—don't get in the way."

Luffy quickly shook her head. "I can't leave—not without my brother…and…" Her gaze fell. "And not without Law…"_ If Iceburg is the one working with the government, then that might mean Law was telling the truth…_Luffy had no way of telling what was the truth and what was a lie.

Crocodile cocked his head slightly. "Your brother I can understand, but that man…?"

Half-laughing, Doflamingo went for the table, kicking it over and away from the door. "_Idiot_," he forced out through gritted teeth. "All of you are idiots—never knowing who's betrayed who."

Forcing the door open, he lingered for a moment, a smile twitching upon his face. "I'm going to murder Law, so you don't need to worry about him."

"He didn't do anything," Luffy countered, reaching out for his forearm to hold him back. Upon contact, the blond wrenched his arm free, turning his rage on her.

"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Doflamingo questioned, standing tall before her—hovering almost, like a predator seconds away from striking its prey. "For all I know, you're in with the government as well—Law's little whore sharing secrets about Crocodile, eh?"

When he turned his gun on her, Luffy quickly pulled away, distancing herself from the deranged man. In silence, she looked to Crocodile for help, only to find confusion upon his face.

Turning his attention to Doflamingo, he asked, "What do you mean by that?" His tone seemed curious and he appeared uninterested in the fact that Doflamingo had just threatened Luffy.

Laughing, the blond shook his head, hand falling and expression relaxing. "That's right," he said, more to himself. "You don't know." Turning around, he sniffed a little and headed for the door frame, peeking his head out to examine the hallway. "I'm not the only one here that got screwed over by a subordinate."

Crocodile's attention turned sharply on Luffy. "What does he mean by _that_?" His tone was harder this time, probing and demanding. He took a step towards her when she failed to answer. "Tell me, _**now**_."

"Wait," Luffy tried to object, back meeting the wall behind her when she tried to distance herself from him. "Please, wait…" She had nothing to say—the words became lost in her ever tightening throat. Her heart pounded hard, eyes widening as she caught the anger flash across his face.

"Have you been _fucking_ him?" he asked then, brows lowering as his gaze searched hers.

Her lips parted, but again, nothing came out.

Crocodile shook his head briefly, eyes clamping for only a mere second. His chest rose and he spat the question out again. "_**Have**__ you?_"

"N-no," she weakly said, mouth incredibly dry. "I…only once, but…but…"

When the tip of his hook met her cheek, Luffy cried out. Falling over, her hand went for her face, fingers becoming wet as they traced the long weeping wound. It stung, forcing tears to well up. "_Ah_…" she exhaled, the pain growing unbearable.

The force of the impact made her hearing bad, his yells and accusations muffled. Blurred vision soon followed as the tears made their escape, falling down and across her cut.

"…this entire time," she heard him scream. "…his whore…" The cut hurt so much. "…you were _**mine**_…"

Luffy pulled her hand away from her face and examined it, the deep red blood leaving her uneasy.

"Was the baby even mine?" Crocodile questioned, causing her to life her gaze to his. He appeared hurt, defeated in a sense. "_Was_ it?"

She didn't answer.

Half-turning, his gaze was directed to the doorframe for a moment. "I'm going to kill him," he informed her then. "It will be a long and painful death, and I want you to know he died in misery before I deal with you." Turning his attention back down on her, he offered her a heavy frown. "You will regret betraying me."

Popping his head back into the room, Doflamingo threw the both of them an amused smirk. "The line for killing Law starts behind me."

In silence and horror, Luffy watched as they left the room, the two more bonded in a common goal than ever before.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Part two.

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Starlight**: Ahhh, I hope you enjoyed this then! I know only a few revelations/secrets came out, but there's still more to come next chapter! Thank you so much for reading my trash baby!

**Guest**: Luffy does indeed need &amp; *deserve* a rest, haha. Ah, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm so happy you gave this story a chance! Thank you so much!

**ManOfManyTales**: Honestly, everything in this story could have gone better, haha. Thanks for reading!

**VongolaDecima**: Ace's fate will be determined very soon :O There is going to be a lot of potential death next chapters. On the security matter, they (Ace &amp; Luffy) were kind of away from the villa, since Ace stormed off with Luffy following, and it was dark, so yeah…the security (pretty much just Daz) was probs just dealing with a dramatic Crocodile since he just got beat up by Ace, hahahahaha, a terrible excuse for a plothole xD. Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

**Itachisgurl**: Thank you for reading!

**Nicorxbin**: WTF THE FUCK INDEED

**Finnish Guest**: I love torture scenes too :D But I couldn't really put Luffy through one ;-; too precious to do that to. Thank you for reading!

**RazzleDazzle**: hahahaha yes, that's very true. Thanks for reading my darling trash baby!

**Sellen**: Lol Ahh, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And thank you so much for reading!

**Loogoo**: Honestly, it's going to end up being a family grand canyon soon, haha. Thank you so much for reading!

**Tdrhm**: It's here! Thank you for reading!

**Guest**: Well, it's a bit of both, and more Law/Luffy is going to come :O I hope you don't mind me throwing them into a dominantly croc/luffy story. I'm trash for over the top drama, &amp; that includes love triangles. And thank you! Thank you for reading as well : )


	50. War Pt 2

**To Serve at his Command| **War Part Two

Drying blood stained her palm.

Luffy spent little time in the room where Crocodile had struck her after he and Doflamingo left, vows of murdering Law upon their lips. Too much was happening too fast, and the throbbing pain of her new cut left her lightheaded. Staying around, however, would serve her no good—that much was obvious.

_I need to find Ace,_ she thought to herself as she hurried down the hall, meeting the corner hesitantly. She peered around, eyes quickly taking in any potential danger and only finding nothing. _And I need to find Law._

With neither of the mob lords in sight, she continued down her path, breathing pitched from a mixture of panic, fear, and adrenaline. If her encounter with Crocodile was any indicator of what was going to happen throughout this _attack_, Luffy couldn't help but fear the worse.

The sound of something crashing suddenly prompted her to stiffen up, hand reaching up to touch the wall by instinct. Her lips parted, eyes widening as she gave a quick once over, trying to find the source of the noise. When finding nothing, she figured it must have been from outside.

_Once I find them, how are we going to escape?_

Biting her lower lip, Luffy continued on, soon finding herself nearing a spiraled staircase, rusted and stained with the scent of smoke and blood. _Did Ace go down here?_ Luffy glanced back, wondering if there were any floors above her. _Is this the highest one…?_ If so, that could only mean she had one way to go—down.

Luffy quickly made her way down, hand gliding along the railing for support. Upon reaching the next floor, she paused and glanced at her two choices: either search said floor or continue descending the staircase. Inhaling deeply, she stepped off of the stairs and peered as best she could down the new hallway. "Ace?" she called out, weakly at first. When she heard no response, she tried again, this time only louder.

While she received no verbal response, there was a strange noise that followed her call. Arching her brows, Luffy cocked a glance back at the stairs. _I don't know if that was Ace or not…What if he's in trouble and can't speak?_ With eyes widening slightly at the new thought, Luffy pulled away fully from the staircase.

"Ace?" she questioned as she made her way towards the source of the sound. When another noise was made, she found it to be within a closed nearby room. Quickly she opened it, lips forming a fat frown from what she found.

Absolutely nothing—not a soul to be seen. Exhaling lightly, she entered the room, making sure to take in every corner and empty space. "Ace?" she whispered harshly. Luffy was sure she heard the noise from that particular room. Upon drawing towards a closet, she wondered if he could possibly be hiding in there.

When she touched the handle to the closet, a loud creak came to life behind her. Tensing up, Luffy slowly turned back, hand falling to her side when she met a hard gaze. Silently, she observed him, taking in rough features and fresh wounds.

The stranger kept his stare on her, hard but also curious. He had a gun in his hand and a knife looped on his belt. Luffy had never seen him before and quickly pieced together that he was one of Teach's men.

He took a step her way, pausing when she backed up in response. "You ain't supposed to be out of that room," he commented, tone low, almost cautious. "If you're down here, I can only guess that somebody got up there to free you…"

Casting her gaze aside, Luffy quickly asserted the room once more, desperately searching for anything she could use as a weapon. Chairs, pencils, and odd trinkets littered the room, nothing proving any use.

"How 'bout you come with me back up there, huh?" the man questioned then, taking another step towards her.

As fast as she could, Luffy turned sharply towards one of the chairs, grabbing it and tossing it at him. It landed her a moments opening, but as she tried to squeeze her way past him, she found he was quick to recover from the weak attack.

His hand made contact with her arm, sending her hard against a nearby end table. She used the wall to steady herself, exhaling heavy when she glanced his way.

"That wasn't nice," he said, half-amused as he kicked the chair aside. Pausing, he pursed his lips before snickering. "Seems you got a little roughed up there on the cheek…" His free hand began to reach for his knife. "Perhaps I should make a matching cut there on the other one?" Pulling the weapon out, he began her way, leading Luffy to frantically search for anything to defend herself with.

In two seconds the man was falling forward, his wide eyed gaze leaving hers to cock back as he tumbled down. His gun skidded across the floor, towards her. A new figure emerged then, speeding past Luffy to continue the assault.

Moving away from the commotion, Luffy watched in stunned amazement as Daz subdued the man, pulling the knife away to use as his own. A string of sharp curses escaped the stranger as he tried to wrestle himself free, gasping out harshly when his own weapon was turned against him.

Blinking twice, she shook her head and pulled her concentration away from the fight, searching for the gun. Upon finding it, she scooped it up and pointed it at the two, finding herself a tad bit too late.

Daz offered the corpse a good kick in the skull, probably to check if the man still lived. When he lifted his gaze up to find hers, his lips twitched lightly, stare seemingly curious. "You should get out of here," he suggested.

Puzzled, Luffy slightly lowered the gun, curious if he had learned of what occurred between her and Crocodile moments prior. _Crocodile might have not had the chance to tell him yet…_

"There should be a car waiting outside," he continued, ignoring her strange gaze. "If you can, find somebody to drive you away…If not, then try to drive it away yourself." Turning, he glanced back down at the man. "I still have things to do."

He pushed past her with ease, offering one last silent gaze as he headed out.

Holding her breath, Luffy wasted no time in following suit. She watched as he hurried down towards the staircase, almost a blur. Turning, she headed down the opposite route, not entirely convinced to head to the lower floors just yet.

_Ace can be anywhere,_ she thought as she checked the next room, finding nothing. _I can't leave any area unchecked…_The following two rooms proved just as useless and bare. Frowning, she met a corner, picking up her pace soon after. _I need to hurry._

After a while, Luffy felt as if she were at a complete loss. The warehouse was bigger than she could have ever imagined and many different hallways had grown out from the main one she had originally traveled. Huffing, she found herself dawning upon a new staircase.

Approaching it, she pressed her fingertips to the railing, pondering if she should just head to the lower floor or continue searching. Glancing downwards, she followed the stairs with her gaze, finding that they seemingly met a hard concrete surface. _That must be the ground floor…_

_Could Ace have already left the building?_

As Luffy started to take a step onto the stairs, she paused, glancing back nervously. Pulling away, she back tracked quickly to spot one of the hallways she failed to check. _I'll check these out real quick, and then head on down._

Upon opening the first door, Luffy's stomach sank. She found him on the ground, table toppled over his body.

"Ace?" Luffy questioned frantically, pushing the table with all her might off of him. He laid unconscious, face afflicted with minor cuts. Her hand touched his arm, prodding him gently, hoping desperately that he would respond. When he did nothing, Luffy called his name out again louder.

Her knee grew wet.

Throwing her gaze down, Luffy shifted, forcing her knee away from his side. Fresh blood stained her pants. Lips parted lightly, eyes widening.

"Ace?" she spat out, reaching out to touch the wound. His clothes were dampened with his blood, warm and sticky. _He's been shot_, Luffy figured as she turned her attention back to his face. His name escaped her, again and again and again, and even though her voice began to grow hoarse, she did not stop. "_Wake up_."

Fingers lifted and met hers, weak and fragile and barely noticeable. "Luffy." His voice was quiet, eyes fluttering open slowly. "Hush…my head hurts…"

Arching her brows, Luffy couldn't help but smile, a half-laugh escaping her as she cradle her brother's head. "You're alive," she informed him, relieved to see life in him.

"It…got my side," he managed to breath out. He tried to lift his head, eyes clamping shut as a hiss escaped him through gritted teeth. "…hurts…"

"It's okay," Luffy told him, offering him as much support as he needed. She managed to get him to lean up a little, his hand leaving hers to touch his wound. "You're going to be just fine."

"I…" Exhaling, he tried to laugh then. "I think I got the bastard who shot me…he limped off somewhere…My gun is…gone, though…"

"That doesn't matter right now, Ace," Luffy responded, matching his thin smile. "We need to get you out of here and to a doctor, alright? Can you stand…?"

Frowning, he tried to sit up even more, gasping out and falling into Luffy's arms. "It's in there," he told her, gaze glued on the side of his abdomen. "I can feel it…"

Allowing him to lie back down, Luffy casted her stare aside as she tried to formulate a plan. _I might not be able to get him out of here alone…especially considering we have to go down a flight of stairs…_

"Luffy," Ace muttered, drawing her attention back to him. "You need…need to go without me—I'll only slow you down…"

Shaking her head, she snapped back with a quick, "shut up." Taking Ace's arm, she tried to hold it behind her neck. "I need you to fight through the pain and stand up," she told him, quietly, but firmly. "We're getting out of here _together_."

The door opened, prompting both of the siblings to glance in its direction. Luffy's body grew tense, her muscles flexing when she felt her brother dig his nails into her shoulder.

"Not this bastard again," Ace hissed out, falling over to his side when he tried to sit up.

Crocodile eyed him for only a moment, expression blank. When he turned his attention to Luffy, his gaze widened slightly and his jaw clenched. Anger flashed across his face, lips falling into a thin frown.

While she did not look, Luffy shifted her leg only an inch or so to feel the gun beside her, concealed from Crocodile's vision.

"I shouldn't be surprised to find you here with him," the older male started, taking two more steps into the room. "Ran into Teach…he told me all about how you were feeding information back to him through your brother…"

Flexing his fist against the floor, Ace threw Crocodile a heavy glare. "Luffy did everything for me and because of me—if you have a problem with it, direct it at me."

Half-smirking, Crocodile nodded. "Oh, I will," he agreed, as if it had been obvious. "Your death will only be the first of punishments for her, slow and horrid, I assure you."

"Go away," Luffy spat out in frustration. When his gaze met hers, she casted her eyes away, heartbeat and breathing quickening.

Crocodile stared her down for a long moment and from the corner of Luffy's eye, she could see his hand tightening into a fist. "Was there ever a moment where you weren't stabbing me in the back?" he asked then, but still failing to earn her gaze. "Was this all some _game_ to you?"

"No," she answered softly, arms tightening around Ace when he tried to move.

He took another step their way. "You manipulated me," he added sharply, anger laced in his tone. "This entire time…_**you**_, the person I thought would be _incapable_ of doing such a thing…"

Lifting her gaze, she found his, searching it for only a second. "I did what I had to do to keep him safe," she admitted. "But…but I never wanted to hurt you…"

Crocodile shook his head. "You're an idiot and liar, weak and pathetic and…" He continued on and on, approaching them as his arm with the hook began to tense up. Catching such movements left Luffy no choice.

She took the gun in hand and shot him, silencing anything more he had to say.

His wild eyes fell and his lips parted to allow a heavy grunt to escape. His shoulder wept blood from the new hole in it, his free hand quickly covering it. He threw her a pained look mixed with surprise and astonishment. "You…" he started, words falling short as he glanced back at his shoulder.

"Go_** away**_," she ordered him, again, keeping the gun directly pointed his way.

His expression weakened slightly as he stared down the gun, brows lowering and lips forming a heavy frown. He met her stare for a second before turning and heading out, the sound of his footsteps growing softer the further he went.

Breathing out, Luffy slowly lowered the weapon before glancing down at Ace. Her brother gazed up at her, clearly surprised to what just happened.

"Luffy?" he started to ask.

Shaking her head, she moved and began to help him up. "We need to get you out of here," she said. "_Now_."

* * *

It had taken her awhile, but Luffy got her brother up on his feet. While as heavy as he was, she didn't mind him using her as support as they slowly made their way out of the warehouse. Descending the staircase, however, proved to be as difficult as she originally feared.

"_Fuck_," he whispered to himself every step down they took.

"I know it hurts, Ace," Luffy said gently, "but you're doing just fine. Come on…we got this…" She paused when he took ahold of the railing, breathing out strongly as his forehead grew covered in sweat.

"I don't think I can keep it up for much longer," he finally admitted before taking the next step down. Wincing, he shook his head. "No…I…"

Quickened footsteps up the staircase filled their ears then.

"Somebody is coming up," Ace quickly said, nodding over to the gun she had in hand. "Do you want me to take it…?"

"Just keep still," she objected, pulling the weapon out in plain sight. "I…I can do this." Holding her breath, she waited for the person to meet them on the staircase, gun tight in her grip. As her index finger went to pull the trigger, she was soon met with a pair of familiar eyes, raw and slightly reddened.

"_Traffy?_" she breathed out, eyes widening to match his own.

With his shirt covered in blood, Law took a step back from the gun, offering her a stunned glance. When she lowered the weapon, he arched a brow before glancing over to Ace.

"Luffy?" Ace questioned, looking to her, alarmed as to why she hadn't fired.

Law's lips parted, but he remained mute for a moment. "You're alive," he finally said, tone hard for her to pick up on any emotion. "And…"

"I need your help," she blurted out, motioning over to Ace. "My brother…he's hurt, and I can barely help him move."

Law eyed her sibling for a second before returning his attention to her. "They're too many people down there fighting—I don't think you'll be able to get out this way."

"_**Fuck**_," Ace groaned out loudly. "I'm not climbing back up these steps."

"There's no other way out?" Luffy questioned weakly.

Law turned slightly, gaze following the rest of the stairs. "Perhaps," he muttered, "but…"

Luffy made a small whine. "You can't help me?" she asked, drawing his attention back to her. "If you can help with is other arm, I think we can get out of here fast enough."

Frowning, Law pushed his stare over her shoulder, as if he had intentions of doing something else. "I need to find Doflamingo," he said then, voice bitter as his brows lowered. "He…"

Inhaling, Luffy blinked, remembering what the blonde had revealed. _That's right…he murdered Corazon just now…_ "Law," she gently spoke, unsure of what to say to him. "I…"

"I need to find Doflamingo," Law restated as he took a step up to make his way past her and Ace. "…I need to find him."

"He's not up there," Luffy informed him before he had the chance to slip by her. "I checked almost all the rooms…"

Pausing, he pressed his hand to the railing once more, fingers tightly wrapped around the rusty metal. Exhaling heavily, he shook his head lightly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I know I don't have any right to ask this of you after everything I've accused you of, but…" Glancing to Ace, she cringed when she found him leaning against the opposite railing, breathing pitched and eyelids barely lifted. "Please, can you help us?"

His eyes softened then, expression dissolving from his previous heated one. Silently, he gave a stiff nod, gaze lingering over to Ace. "What's wrong with him?" he questioned as he took Ace's other arm around his neck.

"He got shot," Luffy answered as she led the three down the stairs. "He said the bullet is stuck in his side."

Law frowned lightly at that, eyes falling to Ace's stomach. "We'll have to get that removed soon," he murmured, more to himself.

"There should be a car waiting out there," Luffy mentioned as they met the ground floor. "If we can sneak through to it, we might be able to get away without much trouble."

Nodding, Law motioned towards a nearby hallway. "We can't go through the main entrance—we'll definitely run into some trouble that way." Pausing, he examined their route for a moment. "I saw a back exit somewhere down this way…we can sneak along the fence lining to the cars that way."

"Okay," she agreed, allowing Law to take the lead.

It took them a handful of minutes to clear the hallway, occasionally running alongside groups of people fighting it out. Half, Luffy recognized—the other half either consisted of men that looked as if they were part of the authority or Teach's men. Luckily, none of them seemed to notice the three as they slinked down the hall.

As the back door came into view, Luffy found herself lightly smiling, happy to think that this was almost over. _We'll escape and take care of Ace and never deal with these people again…_

"Here," Law called out, nodding to the door before them. "This is it."

As he was reaching out to open it, Luffy couldn't help but look around, finding her eyes lingering to the open room to her left. Blinking, she quickly narrowed her stare.

"Luffy?" Law questioned once he got the door opened, seemingly oblivious to what she was looking at.

"Hold on," she muttered back. Arching a brow, she turned to the two and added, "I…please keep him standing, just for a second."

"Ugh…" Ace began, fluttering his eyes open when Luffy released his arm.

"Just a second," she reaffirmed before heading into the room. Running her tongue across her lower lip, she approached a figure propped up against the wall while sitting down. He had an exhausted look upon his face, as if utterly defeated. His hand lay flat on his stomach, reddened with blood. The golden hook lay across the room, broken and lodged into another man.

Kneeling down a foot away, she searched his face, taking in his scar and closed eyes. His chest barely rose, breathing raspy as it tried to escape him. It appeared as if death were upon him.

When he opened his eyes and met hers, a sad look struck him, brows lowering as he studied her expression.

"It wasn't all a lie," she began, not waiting for him to start. If this were to be his last moments, Luffy figured she should at least come clean for the first time in a long time. "Yes, I gave my brother information about you and the others…and I did go to Law when I thought you were done with me when marrying Robin, but…but all the others times—they were real, real for me at least." Pausing, she casted her gaze down to his abdominal wound. "Just before any of this happened, I…I wanted to stay with you…" Shaking her head, she began to arise, stopping when she felt his fingers on her jawline.

"Don't go," he said, voice weak. "I…I can forgive you, for everything, just…just don't leave me here."

Her brows furrowed, lips forming a small pout.

His finger brushed up against her cut, causing her to wince. "I'm sorry for striking you…I…"

Law's firm voice cut through. "We need to go, Luffy."

Ignoring him, Crocodile's eyes quickly searched hers, as if silently pleading. "I've grown fond of you," he admitted then, lips forming a tired smirk. "I…_we_ can fix this…don't leave me to die."

Inhaling, Luffy pressed her hand to his to pull it off her cheek. "I can't," she said. When she began to arise, he reached out for her neck, fingers digging into the fabric of her necklace. He ripped it off with ease, hand falling back to his lap as she continued to stand.

Offering him one last long glance, Luffy mouthed a quiet goodbye before turning to aid Ace and Law out of the warehouse.

* * *

They found the car with minor difficulty. Just as Law had said, the fence lining the property served as good concealment for the three from the rest fighting. And luckily for them, the cars remained unattended.

"Over here," Law ordered as he led them to one of the vehicles. "Here, let's get him in the back."

"Careful," Ace muttered after a low groan when they worked him on to the back seats. Flopping over on his back, he brought his hand down over his wound.

Closing the door, Law motioned for Luffy to get in the front. "Can you drive?" he questioned as she hopped in, scooting over to the passenger's seat.

When she turned, she was met with a light frown. "No," she answered, confused as to why he would ask that. She assumed he would drive, but the look on his face left her uneasy.

Turning, he eyed the field before them, as if searching for somebody.

"You can't fight him," Luffy began, earning his attention quickly. "You're outnumbered and hurt…he'll kill you."

"He murdered Corazon," Law spat out, expression growing hard. "I can't allow him to live."

"I know," she agreed before reaching her hand across the driver's seat towards him. "But you can't do that now…you'll…you'll have your chance later, when you're prepared."

Law studied her hand. "You don't know that," he retorted softly, hand reaching up to grip the door.

"Please, Traffy…get inside."

Inhaling, Law brought his other hand into a fist before slamming it on the car once. _"Shit,_" he forced out before taking her hand and getting inside. "Let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Luffy and Law take Ace to get urgent medical treatment. Law opens up about Corazon's death and his how he intends to deal with Doflamingo. While seeking a safe haven, Luffy finds out some alarming truths about Shanks and her father.

* * *

*****Only 2 chapters (really more like 1 ½ since the second is just a quick epilogue) left of part one**

* * *

**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**VongolaDecima**: Ah, it always makes me super flattered to hear when someone acts like you do when reading my story. I'm so happy you enjoyed the previous chapter, and thank you so very much for reading!

**Sellen**: Haha, you're so right. They're driven mad with rage &amp; can't think straight. And I'm so happy to see you enjoyed it! Thank you so much!

**OnePieceTreasure**: Ahhh! First, welcome! I'm glad to see you got an account! And I'm so happy that you're happy I updated—honestly, thank you for even reading this story. I'll talk about my plans regarding part two in the epilogue, which if I follow my plans out, should be released in a few days, hopefully. Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocolate**: Ahhh! THANK YOU! Ahh, and I'm so glad that the last chapter was like a rollercoaster for you! Thank you so much for reading! You're too kind to me :"D

**Nicorxbin**: is that the type of language you're going to use when raising my first born? :O

**The Eternal Empres**s: Can I just say how *honored* I am by you saying you talk about this story to your friend? That's like crazy flattering. I tried to make Crocodile imply he would take care of Luffy (kill her) after he killed Law, so she would be upset/miserable when she died. I know I set up a lot of confusing questions, and I swear, everything will be clarified in part two, haha. Dragon will make his first appearance next chapter, and yes, Sabo will have a big role in part two. Robin, Nami, Sanji, and Zoro will also come back for part two. And yeah, Corazon is dead : ( Anyway, I want to thank you so much for the amazing review and for reading!

**ManOfManyTales**: Ahhhh, I hope this chapter didn't damage your cheering for Crocodile and Luffy Dx I know it kind of looks like things are ended for them by this point, but who knows? Anyway, haha, thank you so much for reading!

**Starlight**: Everybody is flipping their shit by this point xD Thank you for reading!

**RavenRunning**: Ahh, thank you so much for the kind compliments! You're too nice to say these things to me :') Thank you so much for reading!


	51. New Struggles and Enemies

**To Serve at his Command|** New Struggles and Enemies

A wad of cloth was shoved into Ace's mouth once he was placed onto the table. In the middle of the night, the group worked to keep him still, each holding down a different limb of his as the doctor neared his abdomen.

The old man sniffed when began to pull Ace's shirt up, eyes quickly lifting to meet Law's. "Where is it again?"

Law nodded to Ace's waist. "On the side—right there." A grunt escaped his lips when Ace tried to wrench his arm free. "Stop," he huffed back, pressing his shoulder flat on the table.

"_Ace,_" Luffy whispered, trying her best to keep his other arm down. "The doctor is going to remove it…just hold still." She eyed the older man for a moment, watching silently as he examined the bullet wound.

"Nicked your side," he murmured, half turning to face a small end table holding his supplies. "Looks like it didn't hit any organs…"

"Will he be alright?" Luffy questioned, gaze falling upon her brother's pained face.

Slightly shrugging, the doctor reached out for what looked like pliers. "We'll see," he finally answered, motioning once to Law. "Keep him still now."

Unrecognizable words seeped past Ace's lips as the doctor penetrated his wound with the device, pushing in deep to find the foreign metal. His muscles flexed under Luffy's touch, trying desperately to free his arms.

"Hush," the doctor firmly ordered him without a second glance. Soon, a thin smile came to him as he pulled the plier like object out as well as a red chuck of metal along with it. "There we go," he happily announced before tossing them aside. Grabbing a bottle of some liquid Luffy didn't recognize, he began to pour some of it into the wound. "What caused you lot to come here beaten up as you are?" he questioned as he continued his work, lifting his gaze to search theirs.

As Luffy opened her mouth to answer, Law quickly took the lead, speaking over her and causing her to trail off.

"We were robbed," he lied, meeting Luffy's confused stare for a mere second. "A group of thugs wanted our money, but when they thought we were holding back on them, they shot him and attacked us."

Cocking a furry brow, the man turned his attention back to Luffy, eyes on the cut upon her cheek. "You might wanna get that checked on then—might need stiches."

Luffy nodded silently, gaze falling back down on Ace.

Retrieving some string and a needle, the doctor continued on. "You should go report this incident to the authority soon…they might be able to catch them fellows who did this."

"We will," Law calmly responded. "But we need to take care of him first before we do any of that." Luffy knew it was a lie—going to the authorities now of all times wouldn't fare them any positive results.

The old man offered a nod while arching his brows. "You can go to the sheriff's when this is all done—he'll need his rest, and I'm sure he won't notice you gone for an hour."

Luffy caught a look of frustration cross Law's face. "We'll _handle_ it," he stressed, frowning when Ace jolted underneath him.

"I'm sure of it," the doctor replied as he finished his needlework. "That is all I can do for him now…time will tell if he'll make it or not."

Tensing up, Luffy slowly pulled her hands away from her brother's shoulders, watching as he laid there utterly exhausted. "Ace…?"

"He might get an infection," Law said, earning her gaze. "We'll need to tend to him if he does."

The doctor cleared his throat. "Would you two be requiring anything yourselves?" he questioned with a sniff.

Luffy shook her head, a small pout forming. They barely had enough money to pay for Ace's treatment. If they wished to get any further away from the state, they needed to hold on to what they currently had left.

"We don't require any more services," Law answered before releasing Ace. "Just…just take care of him."

Humming, the doctor agreed with a stiff nod. "If you say so," he said, gaze turning to Ace. "He can rest here for an hour or so, but I'll need you all to leave. I have many _paying_ patients who need treatments done, you must understand." When he motioned to the door for them to exit, Law offered a slight wave of his hand to stop him.

"Can you allow us a moment alone with him, so that we can tell him when we'll take him home?" he questioned, gently so, as if not to anger the doctor.

Exhaling, the doctor eyed them sternly for a second before shaking his head. "You may, for a _moment_…the door is this way when you need it." Upon making his leave, Law went for the end table, scavenging through it quickly.

"Traffy?" Luffy quietly called out, curious as to what he was doing.

"Come here," he responded, handing off a pile of random stuff to her. "Hide it in your coat pockets…" After a minute or so of doing this, he nodded off to Ace. "Say what you need to, but we need to go hide out somewhere for an hour."

Blinking, Luffy quickly turned back over to Ace, reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder. "We'll be back soon," she gently informed him, frowning softly when he barely nodded his acknowledgement. "Just rest up some, alright?"

* * *

Law had found them an alleyway a few blocks east from the clinic. There were a few crates scattered about, and after fumbling around with them for a good minute, he was able to create some sort of makeshift chairs for them.

"Start handing me the stuff," he quietly ordered when she sat down beside him. "I'll clean up your cut…"

In silence, Luffy handed over the items, unsure of what he needed. She watched as he laid a few of them on the crate corner, the others on his lap. When he pulled a piece of what appeared to be some type of cloth, Luffy cocked a brow.

"I think he was right about you needing stiches," he observed as he poured some type of liquid upon the cloth. When he brought it to her wound, she winced, pulling back an inch or so. A small smirk played with his lips, lasting for only a passing second. "I need to clean it," he restated, pressing it again to her flesh.

Remaining still, Luffy casted her gaze away. "It stings…"

"It's supposed to," he commented, pulling the cloth away. "But it isn't the worse part…"

Frowning, Luffy glanced over and caught him fetching the needle and string. A panicked groan escaped her, gaze snapping forward to avoid looking at it. "Do I really need that?"

"Yes," he answered.

"No," she weakly objected. "But do I _**really**_ need it?"

"Yes."

Exhaling lightly, she pouted, hand lifting up to stop him, but pausing midway. Defeated, she muttered a soft "_fine_" before dropping her hand down to his knee. "If you hurt me, I'll squeeze your knee to stop, alright?"

A light breath of warm air escaped him, running along her neck. "Don't do anything that will make me cause you more harm," he warned her, bringing the needle to her cheek. The second it pierced her wound, Luffy let out a low whine. "It'll be fine," Law calmly told her. "Your brother went through much worse."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," she retorted, clamping her eyes shut when she felt the string weave through her flesh. Her fingers began to tighten around his knee, prompting him to shift.

When he finished, he offered her a quick look over. "Is there anything else wrong?" he questioned, eyes falling to her hand on his knee. "Or was it just your cheek?"

"Just that," she answered, pulling her hand away and up towards her cheek. She stiffened when she felt him grab her wrist just before touching it.

"You can't pick at it," he informed her firmly. "You need to keep it clean to avoid infections."

Luffy allowed her hand to fall to her lap, a heavy exhale escaping her. It was hard to resist touching it, her finger ever so occasionally twitching.

They sat in silence after that for a few minutes, with Luffy observing Law as he tended to his own minor cuts. After such time, she brought her hands together over her lap, curious as to what he was thinking at that moment.

_He's probably still furious over what happened with Corazon_, she figured as a sad look came over her. _I wish I knew what to say to him to make him feel better…_ "Traffy?" she finally questioned, stare avoiding his.

"Hmm?"

A slight tilt of her head. "Are you okay?"

Law nodded twice. "Nothing to complain about," he murmured. "Just a few cuts here and there…"

"No," she objected, slightly turning her gaze his way. "I mean with Corazon…"

"Oh." He grew mute, jaw clenching as he casted his eyes across the alleyway, towards the main street. "I…" he started, words falling short as he finally met her gaze, searching for a long moment. "It's hard right now…I keep reliving it in my head, moment by moment. I think I'm still in shock…"

Swallowing, Luffy nodded.

"I still can't believe he's actually gone," Law continued, voice growing soft. "Everything happened so fast…Doflamingo, he…he…"

"Why did he do that to Corazon?" Luffy gently asked, eyes falling to his fist when he clenched it.

Law shrugged. "I'm still not sure myself," he admitted. "The other day, Corazon told me he had fears that Doflamingo was growing suspicious, but I'd never think he'd actually kill him…" Law lifted his gaze up to the sky, stars reflected in his wet eyes. "At the warehouse, he accused Corazon of having the police show up…he…" Law looked to Luffy. "Corazon _wasn't_ behind that…he would never, not at such a tense moment…"

"I believe you," Luffy agreed. "I think it was Iceburg who was behind it…"

He cocked a brow when he met her stare dead on. "The mayor…?"

Blinking, Luffy nodded once. "That man, Teach…he said that Iceburg was involved with the government this whole time…I…" Pausing, she found herself glancing to her feet, fingers tightly weaving together.

_How much damage did Iceburg cause? Was he behind the attack alongside Lucci…or was Lucci even involved at all?_ Shaking her head, Luffy heavily exhaled. It was too much to take in all at once. _And I accused Law of betraying me…when…when it was Iceburg?_

"It doesn't really matter right now who exactly was behind it," Law started. "All that matters to me right now is finding Doflamingo and getting revenge on behalf of Corazon."

"Traffy," she started to object, growing mute when he offered her a hard stare.

"He needs to pay for what he did," Law told her. "I will make sure of it, even if it takes me the rest of my life…"

"What are you going to do?"

Law slightly shrugged, gaze leaving hers. "Whatever it takes…"

Once more, it grew silent between them, Luffy uneasy at the thought of Law going after Doflamingo. The blond mobster had an entire clan under him, and she wasn't entirely sure of his fate from the attack on Teach's. _For all we know, he could be dead right now like…_Luffy shook her head, forcing herself not to think about that.

"Traffy, I need to apologize," she finally said, looking his way. "I…I'm sorry for accusing you back then—I didn't know…" Gently, she reached out for his hand, fingers tracing the back of it.

Law pulled away fast, arising and throwing her a strained glare. "Don't," he said before turning. "Not…not now, not after everything that's happened."

Widening her gaze, Luffy dropped her hand, watching as he took a few steps down the alleyway. _He's mad…_

"We should head back," he suggested then, tone seemingly cold and unwelcoming. "We've spent too much time as it is…"

* * *

Luffy sat in the back passenger seat with her brother, offering him support as he lay as best he could. Tired as he was, he remained awake, hand occasionally reaching out to touch his bandaged side. "Where are we going?" he questioned, glancing up at Luffy.

"Uh," she started, unsure of what answer to give him.

"We need to find somewhere safe to hide out for a while," Law answered as he drove. "I don't particularly have any place as such available…"

Shifting, Ace arched a brow. "We can head to Gramps place, huh?"

Luffy shook her head. "It's too risky to go there—Teach might know about it."

Frowning slightly, Ace proceeded to suggest going to Whitebeard's. "He can keep us safe, but…" Glancing over to Law, Ace silently mouthed, "I don't know about him, though."

"We need to go somewhere _far_ away," Luffy told him. "Somewhere that doesn't involve all these mob lords and groups…"

Remaining mute for a few minutes, Ace lifted his hand up to tug on Luffy's sleeve, earning her attention. Shifting, he groaned and said, "You know, we can always head up the coast line…"

"…?" She arched her brows, confused.

Ace met her expression with a strained one. "To your father's house—he lives up there, doesn't he?"

Luffy's clenched her hand into a fist, surprised Ace would even suggest him. "He…yes, he does live up there, but…?"

Forcing himself up into the sitting position, Ace leaned over to the back of Law's chair. "We need to go there—it's the safest place."

"But Ace," Luffy tried to object. "I…I hardly know him, and I don't think he would welcome us in like this…"

Throwing her a weak glance, Ace shook his head in disagreement. "We have to try, and if he boots us out, then so be it. But…I don't think he will. Luffy, he…he can help us—nobody knows about him…"

Frowning, Luffy gave a slight shrug.

"If that's where we're heading, I'm going to need directions," Law said, earning Ace's attention once more. "Do you know exactly where this man lives?"

Ace nodded, prompting Luffy to stiffen. "How do you know?" Luffy questioned softly. She, herself, had only been there when a small child—she barely even remembered what her father looked like. Why would her brother, somebody who was not this man's son, know his location?

"Gramps told me a while back, just in case we ever needed to get in touch with him," he admitted before offering up directions to Law. "Don't feel bad about it, Luffy."

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With the sun raised high in the sky, Luffy stood before the door. There were different smells of the sea meeting her nostrils, offering her vague distant memories.

"Luffy?" Ace questioned, face covered in sweat.

It had been a three day journey to her father's property, just enough money to keep the car fueled and to afford them a bite to eat here and there. Ace, unfortunately, seemed to grow ill as the days passed by. By the night of the second day, Law said he had developed a fever and needed proper rest.

Holding her breath, Luffy knocked on the door, clearly unknowing of what she would say if anybody opened it. She doubted that the man would even recognize her as his own kin, and the fear of him slamming the door in their faces left her nervous.

She hoped that he would at least recognize Ace. Her father had spent about a month at her grandfather's before leaving her behind. That was when she first met her brother, young and happily welcoming to her. There was another brother, one who disappeared during that time, and such a loss brought Ace and Luffy closer together as siblings.

A moment passed before she knocked again, louder this time. When it opened, she took a step back, tensing up when she felt Ace hold onto her for support.

The man before them blinked a few times, expression that of puzzlement. "Luffy?" he questioned, surprised. A smile played on his face, brows arching. "What are you doing here?"

"He…doesn't look like you," Law quietly muttered behind Luffy, clearing amused by the man before them. "You must take after your mother…?"

"That's not him," Ace dryly said.

"Why are you here?" Luffy began, taking in the man's familiar features. It had been so long since she last seen of him.

Shanks offered her a warm smile. "I would ask you that, but I suppose it would be odd considering this is your father's house…" Shrugging, he chuckled before motioning to the men behind her. "Is that one alright?"

"He's hurt," Luffy began, tone weak as she tried to wrap her mind around the new situation. "I…we came here for help…"

His smile slowly died off, being replaced with concern. "Uh," he began, half-turning as he glanced inside. "Okay, come inside, but…" Shaking his head, he stepped aside for them, holding the door wide open. "Just get in."

Helping Ace, Luffy lead the three inside, taking in the scenery briefly. Some of it seemed familiar, if she really thought about it.

"What happened?" Shanks questioned as he gently pushed past them, motioning over to a nearby couch for Ace. "Are you hurt, Luffy?"

"I'm fine," she answered, lowering Ace down before arising and facing Shanks. She observed him for a minute, still stunned to find him here of all places. "We…"

"We were robbed," Law cut in, earning the redhead's attention. The night before, they had agreed to keep to such a story, but Luffy found it hard to lie to her old friend. "He got shot…"

Shanks nodded, cocking a brow as he glanced to a hallway to his right. "I, uh…well, it's certainly a surprise to see you'd come all the way out here just because he got shot, and by a stranger I assume?"

"Yes…" Law slowly answered.

"Hmm…" Shanks turned his attention to Luffy then, head tilted slightly. "You wouldn't be here for anything else then, perhaps?"

Casting her gaze upon Ace, Luffy made a weak attempt to shake her head _no._ "Why…why are you here, though?"

Exhaling lightly, Shanks took to the opposite side of the room before sitting down. "I suppose that's a fair enough question to ask," he began, laughing afterwards. "I'm sure you weren't expecting me here, huh?"

"No," Luffy agreed, turning his way. "You disappeared, and everybody was worried…Buggy was worried…"

Shanks perked up at that, his smile ever growing. "He was?" he asked, clearly taken by such a statement. "I should visit him soon, then—I didn't realize he cared that much." After a second, he nodded off to one of the other couches. "You two should sit." When Luffy and Law did as such, he continued. "Well, this is going to be difficult to explain, but I'll try…Luffy, do you know who your father is?"

"Uh, yes…I have met him before, when I was younger," she answered slowly.

Shanks quickly shook his head, lifting his hand to stop her. "I didn't mean it like that—I meant…do you know what he does? His importance and such…?"

Cocking a brow, Luffy remained silent.

"He's a very important man," Shanks answered for her. "He, uh, well, to put it simply, he has plans on taking down the corruption in the government."

"_Corruption_?" Law repeated.

"It means exploitation," Shanks began, pausing when Law stopped him.

"No, I know what the word means," the doctor in training objected. "I just didn't realize that it was a problem in our government? And for Luffy's father to fight it…?"

"There are a lot of groups out there, mobs and such, and they're somehow able to terrorize their territories without facing backlash," Shanks continued. "The government allows some of these groups to go untouched—an alliance almost, and we, the everyday citizen, have to suffer."

Law and Luffy shared a silent but knowing glance.

"I know this must be rather surprising to hear…but just know, your father is against such alliances—he's working on making the world a better place for the average citizen." Shanks offered them a happy go lucky smile, as if what he said cleared up everything.

"That doesn't explain why you're here," Luffy commented.

"Ah," Shanks mouthed, hand lifting to scratch the back of his head. "Well, I agree with your father—a lot of us do, actually. We're all here fighting back and taking down the mobs and corrupted governmental offices."

Luffy couldn't help but frown. "Have you known about my father this entire time then? Back when I first met you and Buggy and the rest…?"

Shanks nodded softly. "Why do you think we came to meet in the first place? Your grandfather sent news to your father when you left to find work in the city—he was worried, and thought maybe your father could do something…what, I don't know." Pausing, he brought his hand down to his knee, breathing lightly. "Your father asked me to find you, since I was in the same area your grandfather had mentioned."

"You…" Luffy started, words falling short.

"I knew who you were _before_ we met," Shanks clarified. "I was asked to keep you safe, offer you a place to stay…Your father couldn't do these things himself, he was busy running an organization and all."

"Why did he never reach out for me?" Luffy questioned then. "If he cared so much, I just don't understand why I never saw him again after he left me at my grandfathers…"

Shanks met her puzzled gaze with a weakened expression, as if unsure how to answer. "I can't answer such a question on his behalf…but, if you would like, you can ask him that yourself, now."

Luffy grew tense in her seat.

"He's here—obviously, he's here, but you're older now and maybe you'll be able to understand more of his world…" Arising, Shanks glanced back to the hallway. "Would you like to meet him again?"

"I…" Licking her lower lip, she nodded, head turning when she caught a figure in the hallway shift.

The redhead motioned with his hand at the figure. "She wants to see you," he spoke.

Stepping out into the room, Luffy's father met her wide eyed gaze first. His face wasn't exactly as she remembered—aged and tired. "Luffy," Dragon said, voice hard, but not enough to scare them off. "It's been a long time…we have much to talk about."

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**To be continued…**

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**Next time:** Epilogue and plans on when I'll start part two.

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**As always, thank you so much for reading!**

**Kimi Saruby**: It's super flattering to see that this story gave you a bit of croc/luffy feels. And I'm glad I didn't kill Ace off either, haha. I almost did. Thank you so much for the compliments and for reading!

**Sellen**: Ahh! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And it's just so surprising to see how many people are feeling bad for Crocodile :O Thank you so much for reading!

**VongolaDecima**: Haha, I hope this chapter wasn't a letdown in regards to Shanks &amp; Dragon…they weren't really shocking, and I decided to save some truths for the beginning of part two. I honestly love you for loving this fic—you are too kind to me. Thank you so much!

**Nicorxbin:** omfg you're too much xD

**RazzleDazzle:** Ahhhh, omg, stop it trash baby u/3/u making me blush and stuff. Thank you so much!

**Inoriblack:** Oh my! First, thank you so much for giving this story a shot! And your compliments are sooooo flattering, like thank you :')

**Kiki's Cat**: Ahhh, omg your review u/3/u…you're too nice! But yes! It was starting to become almost sweet, or pure as you said, towards the end…like Croc was opening up to having Luffy around and stuff. In regards to Dragon &amp; Luffy, I'm probably going to end up being a little bias and making their relationship strained at the beginning, where, as part two continues, they can work on forming a healthy bond. Anyway, thank you so much for the kind review and for reading!

**ManOfManyTales:** Hahaha *rubs hands together all evil like* Luffy will definitely have a moment of devastation in regards to the relationship falling apart in part two. Thank you so much for reading!

**Akera99:** I know! :O I originally wasn't going to have part one ending like that, but then I kind of wanted to be mean to crocodile, so it happened D: FORGIVE ME. Thank you so much for reading!

**Milkachocolate**: Luffy, like you said, went into full on protecting mode, and croc was being too dramatic anyways haha. Yes, I couldn't kill off baby Ace just yet ;-; He still needs to have some big bro moments with Luffy. OMG nooo, you are not a pervert…this is a very important question—honestly, the most important of questions. YES, the smut train will return in part two, so I hope you'll have a boarding pass ready when it hits, haha :D Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

**OnePieceTreasure**: Crocodile's fate will be revealed in the epilogue ;) The necklace pretty much represented a collar, of Luffy *belonging* to Crocodile, and when he ripped it off of her, it was to symbolize her gaining some freedom, if that makes sense haha. Anyway, your concerns and questions will be answered as part two starts rolling :D Thank you so much for reading!

**YOIUP**: Ahh! Happy birthday then! Thank you for reading this trashy story on your special day! :D

**Staticy Fox Atra**: There are honestly too many ships going on in this story hahaha It's complete trash. Thank you for reading!


	52. Epilogue

*******I uploaded multiple chapters in the last few days, make sure you're on the correct one you've left off on so you don't get mixed up on what's going on :)*******

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**To Serve at his Command|** Epilogue

***Two months have passed since the ending of the previous chapter***

Crocodile, dressed in grey tones, sat within the outside dining patio of a small restaurant, newspaper in hand. A breeze from the nearby waters drew in, blowing the pages briefly before settling in the distance.

He found little interesting in the black and white pages, gaze slowly glossing over boring headlines. Pressing the paper down, he glanced to his right, watching as his guard stood faithfully still, arms crossed and expression hard.

That man had saved him two months prior, dragging him—a broken and bloodied mess—out of the burning warehouse, despite his own injuries. And while it took him all this time to heal—some inflictions _still_ healing—he stood by his side, as he always did.

"Are you ready?" Crocodile questioned, turning his gaze away to study a passing group of children, carefree and ignorant of the world around them.

"I am ready when you are," Daz responded calmly as he shifted his stance. "We have a long drive ahead of us."

The older male nodded once, uninterested in distance. _I will start anew in Nevada, rebuild my empire and then…_Smirking to himself, he reached his hand into the inner workings of his coat, fingers tracing over stashed cigars. He pulled the item out slowly, dangling it by the torn fabric.

It reminded him of her—her smile, her naïve childish ways, her betrayal…

Relaxing his fingers, he allowed it to fall onto the table, clinking loudly once before settling down flat. "There are many I plan on going after in the near future," he revealed dryly, gaze still locked on the necklace. "Are you willing to aid me in that aspect?"

"I always was," Daz answered, uncrossing his arms and raising his hand dismissingly when a young waiter approached him, asking if he required refreshments.

Inhaling, Crocodile arose, fixing his vest along the way. "Let's go then," he declared, leaving the necklace in place. He figured it would serve as a good tip for the waiter—the heart gem could be sold for a good price.

It reminded him of Luffy, and Luffy was, ultimately, a waste of his time.

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**End **_**To Serve at his Command**_** – Part One**

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**Reviews:** I rarely- or never-request reviews, but this time I am. And the only reason I'm doing so now is because I want to know how you took to this story. Please, **tell me what you enjoyed, what you didn't, etc.** This helps me improve as a writer, and if I did something you didn't like, I can learn from it. Or, if I did something you did like, then I can have that in the back of my mind when writing future pieces. Please, feel free to say whatever you want-I will not get angry. **But don't feel pressured to say anything, I won't be upset if you don't.** Thank you!

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**Thank you:** I honestly can't believe I actually finished this first part to the story. I originally started this with intentions of writing just smut for Crocodile, but it quickly turned into a big pile of dramatic trash, full to the brim of cliché plot tools. This is the first piece of fiction I ever completed (even though it's still part one) and I want to thank everybody who joined me along the way. Writing is, and always has been, a stress reliever for me, but I'm glad I was able to make others happy with it. Everybody who faved, followed, reviewed this story: Think you for the support—it is more than I could ever ask for. Everybody who didn't, the silent ones, thank you as well—I appreciate you all just as equally. You didn't have to read this story, but you did, so again, thank you.

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**In regards to writing/posting part two:** I plan on writing it within the next six to twelve months. I want to spend some time working on smaller pieces, and I hope to finish at least two or three stories before attempting part two. I plan on posting part two as its own separate work—separate from this one, as if it were a sequel, which it pretty much is. When I do start posting, I will upload an additional chapter to this first half stating as such.

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**The basic jest of part two (kind of like a preview, haha):** It will revolve heavily around Luffy and Law, and repairing their damaged relationship. But that's not to say Crocodile will not show up, because he will. It will also heavily deal with Luffy aiding Dragon and his organization, and Law dealing with the loss of Corazon and his obsession with finding and murdering Doflamingo. Iceburg will get a bigger role, showing his side and workings with the government (including Smoker, Lucci, the others…) Doflamingo will have a bigger role as well, and many of the characters from part one will make their reappearance. There will be multiple point of views in this second part, so there will be less secrets for you guys &amp; for there to be a better understanding on what's going on with each character.

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**If there are any questions you have**, please feel free to ask them over on my **tumblr**. Since this site doesn't allow us to link on our profile or these updates, my username on tumblr is as follows: **OnePieceTrash** (and the description should include my name—Celeste).

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**As always, thank you so much for reading!**


	53. A Note

**A Note**

As it's always typically difficult to write an introduction, I'm just going to come right out and say it: As it is now, I'm not going to write the sequel.

I've been debating about this for a good year now, and I finally came to the conclusion that it was wrong of me to keep you all waiting, and I'm sorry for that. I should have been more forthcoming with my thoughts on this earlier, but I was afraid of disappointing you all…

A lot has changed since finishing and uploading the final chapter in this story, mainly my morals and the issue of making Luffy female in this story. My intentions of the genderswap were never to hurt anyone—I was naïve and dumb, and didn't realize that genderswaps can and do hurt people. My reasoning for making Luffy female came down to two main points: A) I wanted to play around with writing a female character placed in the time frame where there was a lot of mistreatment toward them in that society, and b) I didn't want to write smut for two male identifying characters because I felt that it was wrong of me, a female-identifying person, to do so.

Personally, I just can't write smut for two guys because I feel it's disrespectful since I identify as a gal…I've written smut I believe twice between two guys for friends in the past and I felt really bad afterwards because, to me, it wasn't my place to do so…and this story was originally just for Crocodile smut—that was my ultimate goal…smut with a plot, I suppose. This story was never meant to be taken seriously, and I only wrote it for shits and giggles…and I had a lot of fun writing it—writing Crocodile is so much fun, and I loved throwing all the over the top clichés into the story…

But genderswaping Luffy was wrong, and I realize that now. Nobody told me that they were hurt or brought up the fact that I had done this…I came up to this conclusion on my own. And there in lies the issue I'm facing. I don't want to write harmful material like that anymore—the last thing I want to do is potentially hurt somebody by having genderswaps, so…I really can't write the sequel as it is.

And I've had suggestions offered, such as having Luffy as a guy, but as I mentioned above, I feel that would be inappropriate of me to do. Another suggestion was that I just swap Luffy out for a canon female identifying character, or even an OC or the reader, but then I felt that you guys wouldn't want that…you want a Luffy character…

I know I'm rambling, and I'm not entirely sure how to properly word my thoughts about this mess. I want to write—mainly, I want to write a Crocodile story. Again, writing stories that center around him are so much fun, but if I just started writing a new one, I knew you all would grow concerned about the fate of this story, so I finally had to own up and say something.

And again, I am so sorry for taking forever to publish this note. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and only just recently firmly decided that I can't continue this story as it is. I honestly don't know what to do with it other than just abandon it and start up a new story that you all may enjoy that centers around Crocodile.

Everybody who read this story and left reviews are truly so amazing, and I really felt like my writing was enjoyable by all the support. And I don't want to disappoint you all…and so I'm very sorry if I've upset or disappointed any of you.

Thank you.


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